Thermographic image as a technique to detect water stress in tomatoes

Abstract

The use of genetically modified cultivars is considered essential for experimentation in order to analyze the metabolism of plants since they have a short life cycle compared to other types. Thus, the development of new technologies aimed at the agricultural sector is considered fundamental to improve crop productivity in the face of the problems faced. Water stress is considered one of the major problems faced in the Brazilian scenario in view of the high temperatures and consequent high crop evapotranspiration. The use of thermographic images to identify stress is considered an essential technological innovation, given that these images are able to identify the increase in leaf temperature due to the metabolic activity of the plant compromised by water stress, thus generating oxidative stress arising from the increase in the concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS) causing irreversible damage to the plant. The present work has the purpose of detecting the stress in the culture of micro-tomatoes (MT) by means of thermographic images capable of providing early identification of oxidative stress through the analysis of biometric and biochemical variables of the culture. Thus, the experiment will be carried out at the Faculty of Sciences and Engineering, FCE / UNESP, and will be conducted in four levels of water content in the soil (40, 60, 80, and 100% of CAS). Biometric, biochemical and physiological parameters of the plant will be evaluated. To determine the thermographic images, a camera coupled with sensors will be used to infer the plant's surface temperature. (AU)