Abstract
To optimize crop water consumption and adopt water-saving measures such as precision irrigation, early identification of plant water status is critical. This study explores the effectiveness of estimating water stress in choy sum (Brassica chinensis var. parachinensis) grown in pots in greenhouse conditions using Crop Water Stress Index (CWSI) and crop vegetation indicators to improve irrigation water management. Data on CWSI and Spectral reflectance were collected from choy sum plants growing in sandy loam soil with four different soil field capacities (FC): 90–100% FC as no water stress (NWS); 80–90% FC for light water stress (LWS); 70–80% FC for moderate water stress (MWS); and 60–70% FC for severe water stress (SWS). With four treatments and three replications, the experiment was set up as a completely randomized design (CRD). Throughout the growing season, plant water stress tracers such as leaf area index (LAI), canopy temperature (Tc), leaf relative water content (LRWC), leaf chlorophyll content, and yield were measured. Furthermore, CWSI estimated from the Workswell Wiris Agro R Infrared Camera (CWSIW) and spectral data acquisition from the Analytical Spectral Device on choy sum plants were studied at each growth stage. NDVI, Photochemical Reflectance Index positioned at 570 nm (PRI570), normalized PRI (PRInorm), Water Index (WI), and NDWI were the Vegetation indices (VIs) used in this study. At each growth stage, the connections between these CWSIW, VIs, and water stress indicators were statistically analyzed with R2 greater than 0.5. The results revealed that all VIs were valuable guides for diagnosing water stress in choy sum. CWSIW obtained from this study showed that Workswell Wiris Agro R Infrared Camera mounted on proximal remote sensing platform for assessing water stress in choy sum plant was rapid, non-destructive, and user friendly. Therefore, integrating CWSIW and VIs approach gives a more rapid and accurate approach for detecting water stress in choy sum grown under greenhouse conditions to optimize yield by reducing water loss and enhancing food security and sustainability.
Highlights
This article is an open access articleOptimization of crop water use through early and accurate detection of water stress in crop production is very vital in sustainable agriculture
The coefficient of correlation between volumetric water content and Time Domain Reflectometer (TDR) was observed to be improved in this study, proving that TDR equipment may be used solely to estimate soil water content in this type of soil with ease
Not soil conditions, have the greatest influence on CWSIW [2,21,47,48] These findings show that utilizing the Workswell Wiris Agro R Infrared Camera to approximate crop water stress index choy sum is both accurate and quick
Summary
This article is an open access articleOptimization of crop water use through early and accurate detection of water stress in crop production is very vital in sustainable agriculture. Due to the increasing human population and high food demand, there is the need to unswervingly monitor crop water conditions by observing the biophysical and morphological responses of plants to water stress [5]. To minimize damage to the photosynthetic pigment, the plants waste this surplus energy as chlorophyll fluorescence and heat resulting in growth and yield reduction [8,9]. Crops close their stomata to preserve water during biotic and abiotic stress conditions, thereby altering their enzymatic and biochemical pathways. Crop cover temperature can be employed to determine crop water status since it imitates water and heat exchange amongst plants and the environment [16]
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