Digital infrared thermography for monitoring canopy health of wheat

Computer-aided diagnosis and prognosis models have been used for management decisions in crop protection. Initial infection rate, temperature and leaf wetness are important parameters in disease epidemiology and for decision support models. So far, in-field variability and variability between fields have not been taken into account for management decisions in disease control. This study aimed at testing the use of an imaging IR thermography system as a tool for monitoring the microclimatic conditions promoting incidence and severity of diseases within wheat fields with a high spatial resolution. Experiments were conducted on the detection and differentiation of leaf wetness on a single leaf scale and a crop canopy scale (1 m(2)) under controlled conditions. Field studies focused on comparing ground-based and air-borne thermographic data and linking these to ground-truth data.