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PRECISION IRRIGATION


Using imagery in irrigation management is growing, with many new uses expected in the future.


I


magery has been used in agriculture for longer than you might expect. In 1933, British botanist Frederick Bawden used aerial photography to detect viral disease in potatoes. In 1972, imagery became more available when Landsat satellites began being used in agriculture. Yet, most growers will tell you it’s only been in the past few years that imagery has become heavily relied on as a widely used tool. For example, the acceleration of imagery for irrigation management among growers


has been particularly swift, going from very little ongoing use a couple of years ago to as much as an estimated 30% of growers in California currently.


So, why has there been a recent rapid increase of imagery use in irrigation management, and what does the future hold? It all starts with thermal.


One of the biggest reasons to explain the rise in the use of imagery in irrigation management is the improvements in thermal image capture. Thermal image capture is used to measure crop temperature, which is critical in understanding crop water stress. Thermal imagery captured from the air makes the heat emitted from objects on the ground visible, revealing temperature differences that correspond to crop stress. Because water cools vegetation, thermal imagery is useful for detecting leaks, clogs and even some other irrigation issues.


One of the biggest reasons to explain the rise in the use of imagery in irrigation management is the improvements in thermal image capture.


Satellite-based imagery does not provide the most accurate measurements of thermal radiation reflecting off plants. Thermal imagery from satellites has 50- to 100-meter thermal pixels, which are not very helpful for farmers. Also, the water vapor and other atmospheric interference means that satellites have low thermal accuracy and are error prone. As a result, this is not seen as the best solution for thermal imagery capture by many experts. With the advent of plane- and drone-based image capture, some imagery companies have been able to generate highly accurate models of crop water stress showing relative temperature differences of 0.1 degree Celsius between plants.


Using imagery in irrigation


With the improvements in thermal image capture, as well as advances in artificial intelligence, growers have begun using imagery in a variety of ways. Typically, growers who haven’t relied


BEFORE


AFTER Some variations in water stress correspond to differences in typography and soil type, but a


linear stress pattern like shown in this tomato field can indicate a drip irrigation issue. Source: DCB Farming, Merced, California; imagery provided by Ceres Imaging


irrigationtoday.org Fall 2020 | Irrigation TODAY 19


AK Media / stock.adobe.com


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