Thermal Imaging in Agriculture: Crop Production and Animal Husbandry

Thermal imaging can help to gain targeted knowledge, for example to promote the biodiversity of crops and to breed more robust varieties. When used in animal husbandry, thermal imaging allows conclusions to be drawn about animal health, among other things.

For many years, thermal imaging has therefore been established as a measurement method in agriculture. Both on the ground and from the air, it provides reliable data on the temperature distribution and allows a real-time assessment of the condition. In the context of precision farming, thermal imaging and agricultural research offers the opportunity of:

• Recording different microclimatic conditions

• Determining the yield capacity within a field

• Drawing conclusions about plant development and health

• Monitoring the storage of seeds and harvested products

 Infrared cameras are also used in livestock farming. Industrial animal breeding uses this measurement method, for example, to detect diseases at an early stage or to obtain general information about the animals' health condition.

 All this happens without contact or influence on the plants and animals.

Infrared Cameras for Plant Research

Growing crops such as cereals, beet or others is becoming increasingly challenging. Environmental conditions such as extreme heat, drought or persistent rainfall affect the health and growth of the plants. Therefore, the aim of certain research projects is to develop more resistant and robust varieties.

Heat is produced by all processes inside the plant. It is absorbed during the transpiration of water and released via the leaf surface. If there is too little water, this heat cannot be optimally dissipated, and the plant's temperature rises. Even the smallest temperature changes can then be detected with infrared cameras from InfraTec due to the high thermal resolution of up to 20 mK. One feature of the cameras is that they have different, fast interchangeable lenses. This makes it easy to adapt to almost any object size and distance in order to achieve optimal results.

The resulting research findings provide insights into how adaptable and robust a plant variety is and which varieties will continue to be bred. KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA uses an infrared camera from InfraTec for this purpose.

Thermal Imaging in Precision Agriculture

In plant condition analysis, so-called precision farming, the transpiration of the plants also plays a decisive role. As in plant research, leaf temperature is also measured here to obtain information about the water balance of the plants, but here aiming at growth control and optimisation as well as needs-based irrigation planning. InfraTec's thermography systems provide the benefits of a large detector format with (1,024 x 768) IR pixels or the innovative MicroScan technology, which enables images to be taken with (2,048 x 1,536) IR pixels and thus enables large-area observations.

Another field of application is the detection of plant diseases and pest infestations. The transpiration of a plant depends not only on external conditions such as wind, temperature and humidity, but also on the plant-specific surface properties. If a leaf is affected by pest infestation or a plant disease, the transpiration behaviour changes. This in turn becomes clear through the change in leaf temperature and can be measured with the help of an infrared camera. Here, too, InfraTec cameras detect the slightest differences in temperature. As a result, it is possible to react immediately to the infestation or disease and organise appropriate analyses and the use of plant protection products.

Quality Assurance in Potato Storage

Owing to their characteristics, potatoes place very high demands on storage with as little loss as possible.  Their very high water content makes the earth tuber particularly susceptible to mould and rot. An additional challenge is the maintenance of a constant storage temperature. If the temperature is too low, the potato starch is converted into sugar; if the temperature is too high, too much water evaporates and the potatoes become wrinkled and start to sprout.

 To ensure an optimal storage temperature, exact process control is necessary, which can be achieved with the help of thermal imaging, among other things. This is because infrared cameras make it possible to monitor large areas of the warehouse and detect even the slightest temperature changes due to their high measurement accuracy. The advantage of a thermal imaging camera over temperature sensors is that due to a geometrical resolution up to 3.1 megapixels, temperatures can be measured in much greater detail and more efficiently than with a point-by-point measurement. The cameras therefore provide an overall picture of local differences in temperature curves on the surface of the stored goods. The data obtained thus enables process optimisation and optimal climate control.

Animal Husbandry: For the Welfare of the Animals

Infrared cameras allow the very precise measurement of the body temperature of animals. Especially in the field of animal breeding, monitoring the state of health is important. The smallest changes in body temperature can be an indication of developing diseases and enable immediate intervention.