Mini-infrared Camera System Promises Better Irrigation

A new camera system that combines a regular digital camera with a miniature infrared camera could provide a cost-effective way to monitor crop temperatures and help irrigate crops.

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A plant’s temperature can serve as an early warning sign of an underwatered and stressed plant, which makes monitoring crop temperatures a priority for many farmers.

Infrared cameras can detect heat and convert it into an image, but are large and expensive, making them impractical for most farmers.

Infrared sensors are less expensive; however, they cannot provide images, which makes accurate monitoring difficult for medium and large lands.

Now, researchers from the University of Missouri (MU) and the Agricultural Research Service of the US Department of Agriculture have developed a way to provide precise, visual crop temperature data at a lower cost.