Wireless Sensor Network Systems for Canopy Temperature Sensing and Irrigation Management.

The measurement of canopy temperature with infrared thermometers has long been used to characterize crop water stress and manage timing of irrigation scheduling. However, without the use of wireless infrared thermometers, it is difficult to monitor canopy temperature on a frequent basis and rely on a thermal stress index to manage irrigation of large-sized fields. This presentation will provide examples of measured crop response (yield and water use efficiencies) from field studies using a wireless sensor network system of infrared thermometers to monitor crop canopy temperature and control irrigations over center pivot fields by characterizing spatiotemporal crop water stress to manage full- and deficit-irrigation scheduling of grain crops and cotton.