Click on “Download PDF” for the PDF version or on the title for the HTML version.

If you are not an ASABE member or if your employer has not arranged for access to the full-text, Click here for options.

ABSTRACT The objective of this research was to develop a technique to estimate soil water content from surface-minus-air temperature measurements obtained from an infrared thermometer. Two different surfaces were used: grass (clipped, Pensacola Bahiagrass) and bare soil surfaces. Soil water content was estimated to depths of 0.15, 0.30, 0.60, and 0.90 m from surface-minus-air temperature measurements with average coefficients of determination (r2/R2) of 0.62, 0.61, 0.63, and 0.60. However, to depths of 0.60 and 0.90 m this estimate was improved by using a ratio of surface-minus-air temperature measurements divided by solar radiation. A dimensionless temperature ratio, which used soil/plant surface-minus-air temperature divided by ambient air temperature was also used to estimate soil water content at different depths.