5th INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON KHAZAR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
EVALUATION OF DIFFERENT WATER APPLICATIONS IN SUGAR BEET USING THERMAL IMAGING
This research, conducted in 2022-2023 at the Eskişehir Transitional Zone Agricultural Research Institute, aimed to assess the water-saving capabilities of the Mobile Drip Irrigation (MDI) system. The experiment was performed on plots with clayey soil, using sugar beet as the test crop. A three-span Linear Move Sprinkler System was modified into an MDI system. Three irrigation methods (Mobile Drip, Linear Move Sprinkler, and Conventional Drip) were tested under a randomized block design with three irrigation levels (80%, 100%, and 120% of cumulative evapotranspiration [ETc] values) and three replications. A portable thermal camera captured thermal images of at least three sugar beet plants per plot. Maximum and minimum canopy temperatures (°C) were extracted from the isothermal images,and averages were analyzed. Six measurements were conducted in the first year, and nine in the second year. The results showed significant differences in canopy temperatures between irrigation systems and irrigation levels. The highest temperatures were observed in plots receiving 80% ETc, while the lowest were recorded in plots receiving 120% ETc, where no water stress occurred.
