Rapid Evaluation of Mandarin Crop Water Stress Index using CWSI Infrared Camera

The "Workswell Wiris Agro R Infrared camera" (WWARIC) was utilized to monitor and detect water stress conditions in mandarin, as well as predicting optimal irrigation regimes. Air temperature, canopy temperature, and vapor pressure deficits were similarly measured and subsequently used to compute crop water stress index empirically using Idso techniques (CWSIdso). Baseline equations were established for transpiring and non-transpiring conditions in mandarin. CWSIIdso and CWSI calculated from the WWARIC (CWSIW) depicted a high correlation (R2 = 0.75 at p< 0.05) in measuring the level of water stress in mandarin. The WWARIC was also able to detect water stress in all three camera modes (empirical, differential and theoretical) at a height of 12 meters above the mandarin canopy. The results showed that the WWARIC could effectively identify mandarin water stress with enough precision, speed, and in real time showing water stress in different ranges and colors.