Integrating Drone Technology into an Innovative Agrometeorological Methodology for the Precise and Real-Time Estimation of Crop Water Requirements
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
In my opinion, the methods proposed in the paper can be a valuable tool for farmers, agricultural scientists and local stakeholders to comply with regional policies regarding water management and sustainable agriculture. Therefore, I think that the paper is suitable for publication.
Author Response
We are thankful to the reviewer for the pleasant comments on our manuscript.
Reviewer 2 Report
Review for HYDROLOGY - Integrating drone technology into an innovative agrometeorological methodology for the precise and real-time estimation of crop water requirements.
# General comments:
- Very interesting and innovative subject;
- Well written article;
- The methodology is too long;
- The graphics are excellent.
# Specific comments:
The category’s colours are related to the marks in the PDF text review.
Line |
Category |
Description |
Suggestion |
Abstract |
Correction |
I miss results preview. |
- |
Keywords |
Suggestion |
I guess you may be more specific. |
CWSI, UVS remote sensing, crop irrigation management, real-time analyse. |
41 to 50 |
Correction |
I miss the climate change and the environmental impact factors to justify water optimization need. These factors are more related to food production than population growth. |
Reference: FAO |
53 to 58 |
Correction |
Paragraph too long. |
- |
59 to 62 |
Correction |
Paragraph too long. |
- |
63 to 64 |
Correction |
Make it clearer. Maybe you should include precision about vegetation surface and evapotranspiration in this context. |
The effect of vegetation surface (temperature or physical characteristics, etc) on the precise estimation of (real or effective or total, etc) of evapotranspiration (rate or values, etc) is also one […] research. |
65 to 66 |
Correction |
Remote sensing source is not about the sensor’s characteristics or image resolution. |
There are many platforms for remote sensing images acquisition, having different kinds of sensors which impacts on spatial, spectral, temporal, and radiometric resolutions of the delivered image. |
67 |
Correction |
What is a conventional method? Maybe you mean “at the field” or “traditional” as conventional. |
- |
67 |
Suggestion |
I guess “establish” is out of context. |
Maybe “place” could be better. |
68 |
Correction |
I did not understand “where the appropriated fixed position”. Maybe you mean to use aircraft or satellite to image a specific area/crop field. |
- |
73 |
Suggestion |
“unavailable on days with extended cloud cover” |
[…] unavailable or not useful on cloudy days. |
74 |
Correction |
Probably you have missed a word. |
[…] water stress index using satellite […] |
81 |
Correction |
Drone = platform (no image) and camera = sensor (image) |
These vehicles/platforms board sensor able to provide […] (e.g. centimetres). This set is relatively […] |
91 |
Correction |
Same as 65 to 67 |
Maybe you should use “spectral regions” or “bands.” |
94 to 97 |
Suggestion |
Paragraph too long. |
[…] crop. It was primarily used [..] |
102 |
Suggestion |
- |
Maybe you may replace “unique” |
111 to 113 |
Suggestion |
- |
[…] methodology: the theoretical […] Jackson et al is based […] by Isdo et al. This last one has achieved […] |
111 |
Correction |
You talk about two methodologies below. |
- |
119 to 120 |
Correction |
I did not understand. |
Rewrite. |
125 to 130 |
Suggestion |
Here we better visualize the goal of this work, which is something like a microstation bordered in a drone for water need determination in crop fields using instantaneous CWSI. It is amazing! |
I suggest you put it in evidence in the abstract. |
134 |
Suggestion |
- |
[…] deficit. This last one is related to the atmosphere […] |
137 to 138 |
Correction |
I did not understand. |
Rewrite. |
162 to 163 |
Suggestion |
- |
[…] The two lines (blue and red) presented in […] the year, when irrigation […] |
164 |
Correction |
Which area? |
Be more specific. |
166 |
Correction |
The same crop? In the same area? |
Be more specific. |
166 |
Suggestion |
- |
Maybe you should use “were taken” instead of “ are taken”. |
167 |
Correction |
How many? According to whom? |
You should explain precisely the protocol, is it a standard one; or the frequency; or even the absolute number of measures. |
171 |
Suggestion |
- |
Maybe use “made” instead of “taken” |
176 to 214 |
Suggestion |
This level of detail in equation deduction is not necessary. The article is not about these steps, but it is about using it to a specific aim. |
Mayble you should get off the deduction and preserve the main idea with references, because this is well known already. |
277 to 278 |
Correction |
Why in the middle? There was irrigation in these fields? What kind? Can this emplacement affect the data? |
It is better well supporting this emplacement in the text to show that it was an informed decision. |
291 to 327 |
Suggestion |
Critical text fluidity. |
Aiming the text fluidity, I suggest briefly explain the main objective of each kind of measure and use a table to specify the equipment. Something like this: | Equipment | Quantity | Technical Specifications | Measure | |
328 to 334 |
Suggestion |
Idem. OBS Example in the text PDF. |
Idem. |
308 to 367 |
Suggestion |
Idem. |
Idem. |
376 to 397 |
Suggestion |
Idem. |
Idem. |
399 to 424 |
Suggestion |
Idem. |
Idem. |
426 to 461 |
Suggestion |
Idem. |
Idem. |
484 to 498 |
Suggestion |
Idem. |
Idem. |
533 to 644 |
Correction |
1. I missed the two other fields. |
If you have presented the preliminary results, which contains just one field, it is also OK, but you should make it clear. |
533 to 644 |
Correction |
2. It is not clear to me if the system needs calibration every different field or every different crop. |
If there is no calibration need, you may make it clear. |
Author Response
We are thankful to the reviewer for the comments on our manuscript. They were valuable in further improving the document.
Responses to the comments are provided in detail in the attached file and we have also highlighted with track changes the modifications we have made to the manuscript.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Reviewer 3 Report
Needs extensive improvement for publication
Comments for author File: Comments.pdf
Author Response
We are thankful to the reviewer for the comments on our manuscript. They were valuable in further improving the document.
Responses to the comments are provided in detail in the attached file and we have also highlighted with track changes the modifications we have made to the manuscript.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Round 2
Reviewer 3 Report
Dear Editor,
I give up on this review.
While the technology is recommendable, the authors refuse to relate to the state of the art and provide explanations.: XL2 camera calibration is unstable, single pixel down looking IRT stares inevitably to mixed pixels.
Since I can't see how to agree with the authors, an won't stay in their way, Pleas assign the review to someone else.
Author Response
You can find our responses to your comments in the attached file.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx