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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fort Collins, Colorado » Center for Agricultural Resources Research » Water Management and Systems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #412136
Research Project: Improving Crop Performance and Precision Irrigation Management in Semi-Arid Regions through Data-Driven Research, AI, and Integrated Models

Location: Water Management and Systems Research

Title: Diurnal trends of maize canopy cover imaging under water stress, and estimation of evapotranspiration coefficients

Author
item DeJonge, Kendall
item Zhang, Huihui

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/25/2024
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: This study explored estimating FAO-56 components of crop evapotranspiration (ET) under water stress by assessing fractional canopy cover (fc, %) in maize under full and limited irrigation treatments, focusing particularly on the impact of diurnal leaf curl on fc and transpiration. Morning fc images (fcNS) were indicative of non-stressed conditions, offering a basis for estimating Kcb (generally the ratio of non-stressed transpiration to reference ET). Reduction in fc throughout the day (fc/fcNS) was common in the limited irrigation treatment, and correlated well with water stress coefficient Ks during mid-day hours (1100-1400), suggesting its potential use as a Ks proxy. This method provides insights into crop water stress during vegetative growth, though challenges in lower-resolution remote sensing during the same growth stages are acknowledged and discussed.