Detection of differences in hydric stress management in citric crops by means of the CROP-SCAN® Service
Thursday, 22 May 2014
Citrus | Field Experience | Crop-Scan®
The CROP-SCAN® service provides quick, precise data on hydric stress, vigor, chlorophyll content and Photosynthetic light-use efficiency in crops, allowing for early detection of differences in yield and product quality that will allow farmers to implement measures to optimize yield.
A CROP-SCAN® diagnostic test on a citrus plot showed which trees presented higher levels of foliar temperature. The analysis of this data showed that these differences were associated with differences in maturity and caliber at the time of the collection.
As we can see in the picture, in trees with lower levels of hydric stress (in blue), the percentage of fruits collected in the first harvest (yielding higher benefits to the producer) was calculated at 57% of total yield. Fruits collected had a caliber equal to or better than 3. As for stressed trees (warm colors) the percentage of fruits collected in the first harvest was only 22%. Using the data provided by this service, and by means of corrective measures such as the improvement in soil composition, increase of irrigation intervals or improvements in fertilization, it is possible to improve and homogenize production in all plots. Using existing tools and techniques, it would not have been possible to identify these subtle but decisive nuances that influence final profitability of the crop. Now, with the CROP-SCAN® diagnostic tool, we can achieve maximum potential in crop profitability.
Thermal scan of a lemon tree plot in which we can identify higher temperatures in the trees in the lower margin, thus indicating that they suffer from higher levels of hydric stress. |