Thermal imaging for assessment of maize water stress and yield prediction under drought conditions

Maize production in Thailand is increasingly suffering from drought periods along the cropping season. This creates need for rapid and accurate methods to detect crop water stress prevent yield loss. The study was, therefore, conducted improve efficacy of thermal imaging assessing maize prediction. experiment was carried out under controlled field conditions Phitsanulok, Thailand. Five treatments were applied, including (T1) fully irrigated treatment with 100% requirement (CWR) as control; (T2) early 50% CWR 20 days after sowing (DAS) until anthesis subsequent rewatering; (T3) sustained deficit at DAS harvest; (T4) late (T5) no irrigation anthesis. Canopy temperature (FLIR), growth soil moisture measured 5-day-intervals. Under conditions, significantly reduced yield. Water had significant effect. A new combination wet/dry sponge type reference surfaces used determination Crop Stress Index (CWSI). There a strong relationship between CWSI stomatal conductance (R² = 0.90), 0.35 being correlated 64%-yield Assessing 55 DAS, that is, tasseling, greenhouse corresponded best final linear regression model validated well both lowland 0.94) upland fields 0.97) prevailing variety, climate conditions. results demonstrate that, using improved standardized references data acquisition protocols, monitoring according critical phenological stages enables prediction stress.