Managing irrigation frequency via smartphone-based thermal imaging to improve crop water use efficience and berry quality in strawberries

The project aims to deliver novel irrigation methods by understanding the effect of sub-optimal irrigation frequency and the application of smartphone-based thermography to assess water stress in planta. Using LEC facilities and equipment, the student will test whether high frequency sub-optimal irrigation limits vegetative growth while maintaining photosynthesis, which would increase the accumulation of sugars in berries, improving their quality while saving water. Since transpiration can be predicted by leaf temperature measurements obtained from thermal images, the project will also test the hypothesis that smartphone-based thermal cameras can be used to determine the optimal irrigation frequency. Research placements at Primafruit Ltd will allow determining the viability of irrigation scheduling using the smartphone-based thermal camera.

We are seeking an enthusiastic PhD candidate interested in the assessment of crop physiology by low-cost technology methods to be part of the research efforts at the Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) to improve resource input efficiency in agriculture.