Estimation of vineyard water status using infrared thermometry measured at two positions of the canopy

Thermal sensors have been widely used as a way to indirectly estimate plant water status. The information of these sensors can be integrated into the crop water stress index (CWSI), which is conceived as a normalized index able to estimate the midday stem water potential (MSWP). In this regard, several researchers have indicated that CWSI based on the leaf energy balance approach could be a suitable tool to evaluate vine water status. In this sense, a study was carried out during the 2017/2018 growing season to calculate CWSI through the leaf energy balance approach, over a drip irrigated vineyard located in the Pencahue Valley, Maule Region, Chile (35°20’33”S, 71°46’41”W, 86 m a.s.l.). For this, two irrigation treatments were established after veraison, where temperatures from the north and south side of the canopy were obtained through infrared thermometry, along with environmental and MSWP measurements. CWSI was able to estimate MSWP from the north and south side of the canopy, with an R² of 0.62 and 0.45, respectively.