Variable rate irrigation (VRI) systems use intelligent electronic devices to control individual sprinklers or groups of sprinklers to deliver the desired amount irrigation water at each specific location within a field according to VRI prescriptions. Currently VRI systems, including software tools for generate prescription maps, are commercially available for VRI practices. However, algorithms and models are required to determine the desired amount of water that needs to be applied based on the temporal and spatial variability of soil and plant characteristics. While irrigation scheduling can be based on soil water balance calculations, direct monitor of plant growing status is another method that has potential application for irrigation scheduling. Plant canopy temperature is related with plant water stress. Plant height is useful as an indicator of plant health conditions and can be used to estimate yield potential. Therefore, measurements of plant canopy temperature and plant height coupled with spatial information in field can be used for determining VRI water depths. A wireless data acquisition (WDAQ) system was developed to collect plant canopy temperature and plant height data in the field. The system included two WDAQ units installed on a 4-span center pivot VRI system. One unit was mounted at the middle of the third span, and the other at the fourth span from the pivot. Each unit consisted of a GPS receiver, programmable data logger, infrared temperature sensor, ultrasonic distance sensor, solar power supply, and wireless data transmitter/receiver. Inferred temperature sensors were used to detect the canopy temperature while the ultrasonic distance sensor to measure plant height. The WDAQ system was capable of continuously and simultaneously making measurements of plant canopy temperature and plant height, and recording spatial coordinates at each measurement location as the center pivot moved around the field. Data collected were wirelessly transferred to a wireless receiver for data process. This WDAQ system has been tested in field. The results indicated the system had great potential to be used for automatic creation of VRI prescription maps and plant-based irrigation scheduling.