Thematic Areas:
Crop productivity and diversification
Problem Overview:
Canopy reflectance is a very accurate and direct index of
water in plants compared to soil humidity sensing or climate monitoring used
currently for irrigation scheduling. This novel technique offers a precision
solution for irrigation, especially in arid regions suffering from water
scarcity where water should be saved. The use of reflectance sensing has been
widely practiced for drought monitoring in several regions in the world through
remote sensing. According to literature, this technology has not been used yet
for daily irrigation management and scheduling.
Purpose:
Through this project, a new method using canopy spectral reflectance
sensors to control irrigation will be developed and correlation between soil
moisture and canopy temperature will be elaborated for better irrigation
scheduling. Field experiments will be carried out to evaluate the reflectance
variation with water stress. Indices like NDVI and PRI (Photochemical Reflectance
Index) will be measured by using a spectral reflectance sensor, which will
serve as key irrigation scheduling parameters.
Partners:
Further Advancing the Blue Revolution Initiative (FABRI)USAIDDAI
Timeline:
January, 2015 - January, 2016
Geographical Scope:
UAE
Contact:
Dr. Hirich
Abdelaziz
Downloadable files:
