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Sudan Journal of Agricultural Research

Use of infrared thermometer for water stress detection in faba bean


Mahmoud F. Ahmed¹ , Ibrahim Dawi² and Omer H. Ibrahim²


Abstract

Response of two faba bean (Vicia faba L.) cultivars, viz H72 and BB7 to water stress was studied by subjecting them to water stress duration for 2₄ days at vegetative stage (S₁), flowering or pod set (S₂) and pod filling stage (S₃) in a field experiment conducted for two successive seasons (1998-99 and 1999-00) at Hudeiba Research Station Farm. The different treatments were arranged in a factorial randomized complete block design. Vegetative growth attributes, reproductive structure abscission and crop phenology were examined. Soil moisture content, actual and potential daily evapotranspiration and crop coefficient values for different growth stages were monitored. Water use efficiency (WUE) was also calculated. The infrared thermometer was calibrated with the gravimetric method for soil moisture detection. The modified Penman equation was correlated with the canopy temperature difference (CTD). Results revealed that the infrared calibration with the gravimetric method and Penman’s modified equation was found to be well correlated to monitor faba bean water stress, as its measurements (i.e. CTD) were strongly correlated with actual evapotranspiration (r= 0.94).

 

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Sudan Journal of Agricultural Research Vol. 6 (2006) PP. 43-51