THERMAL IMAGING FOR STRESS ASSESSMENT IN RICE CULTIVATION DRIP-IRRIGATED WITH SALINE WATER

ABSTRACT Lowland rice is traditionally irrigated by flood systems, demanding high water consumption. Localized irrigation by subsurface dripping is proposed as an alternative, in addition to the replacement of the source of water intended for human consumption with another of lower quality, such as saline water. However, plants can be affected by saline and/or water stress in both conditions, and the use of thermal imaging emerges as a tool to assess the plant status. In this context, this study aimed to identify the stress of subsurface drip-irrigated arborio rice under different salt concentrations and soil moisture by thermographic images. The design consisted of randomized blocks in a (2×4)+2 factorial with three replications, totaling 30 experimental plots. Soil solution salinity was assessed by electrical conductivity. The thermal images were processed by an algorithm to determine the normalized relative canopy temperature (NRCT) index at different crop development stages. Saline stress was identified by the NRCT index, with higher sensitivity of plants at the flowering stage with a rebalance over time, confirmed at grain filling and harvest stages.