Field Notes

Bouldin Alfalfa: 2023-08-08 15:40:00 (DOY 220)
Author: Daphne Szutu
Others: Robert

Summary: Regular data collection/cleaning, alfalfa is looking sparse, phenocam dead

2023-08-08
Bouldin Alfalfa

Robert and I arrived at 15:40 PDT. It was sunny and clear with a cooling breeze. The alfalfa was about knee high and some were flowering. It’s starting to look more sparse than the start of the season. I’m not sure if they’ll harvest in the next two weeks, so I decided not to trim the alfalfa under the tower.

Robert took veg height and spectral measurements, then cleaned flux and rad sensors.

I downloaded the usual data: met, cam, USB GHG, FD, and IRT. I changed the eddy clock +45sec from 15:04:15 to 15:05 PST to match the laptop time, and restarted logging. The 7550 box was wide open when we arrived but all seems ok aside from a little bird poop inside that I tried to wipe off. The phenocam clock was due for its routine check but I couldn’t connect. I climbed up and the front LED status light remained red, even after a power cycle. I removed the camera sn 0030F4D21525 and brought it back to the lab for more testing. I can replace it with our spare camera next time.

I meant to swap the 7500 today (the small disk on top that holds the bird spike had come off), but Robert said that the screw heads were stripped on the mount. Next time I’ll bring a new mount and 7500 to swap all at once.

The 7500 read: 403ppm CO2, 699mmol/m3 H2O, 29.4C, 101.2kPa, 99SS--100 after cleaning

We left at 16:20 PDT and headed home. I’ll visit Hill Slough next week with Joe and Alex on the way home from Tonzi.

Next Mowing: 2023-09-19

Veg Height (cm): Tape measure from ground to top of plant - Some plants flowering
38, 57, 36, 24, 43, 42, 33, 36, 37, 21, avg = 36.7, stdev = 10.02

0 photos found

7 sets found

4 BA_flux graphs found