Project overview

Understanding how cotton grows, develops, and responds to environmental stress is critical for managing irrigation, nutrition, and crop health. The CropPhen in Cotton project is a pilot study that uses in-field cameras and thermal sensors to monitor crop growth stages and stress patterns in real time. 

The project, run in collaboration with the University of Queensland, installed solar-powered cameras and canopy sensors across commercial fields to collect continuous image and temperature data. This information is being used to validate the CropPhen remote sensing platform, which has already been successful in tracking crop phenology in other industries. 

By linking field data with satellite imagery, the project aims to build a scalable monitoring system that helps growers make more informed management decisions — improving water use efficiency, resilience, and profitability in cotton systems. 

Outcomes and achievements

• Installed fixed field cameras and GoField canopy thermal sensors over two seasons to track growth and stress
• Validated the ability of CropPhen to detect cotton growth stages and phenology patterns
• Generated proof-of-concept datasets for real-time crop monitoring
• Established a partnership between CSD and UQ to extend CropPhen applications for cotton management. 

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Project status