Integrating satellite-based evapotranspiration with simulation models for irrigation management at the scheme level

Improvements in irrigation management are urgently needed in regions where water resources for irrigation are being depleted. This paper combines a water balance model with satellite-based remote-sensing estimates of evapotranspiration (ET) to provide accurate irrigation scheduling guidelines for individual fields. The satellite-derived ET was used in the daily soil water balance model to improve accuracy of field-by-field ET demands and subsequent field-scale irrigation schedules. The combination of satellite-based ET with daily soil water balance incorporates the advantages of satellite remote-sensing and daily calculation time steps, namely, high spatial resolution and high temporal resolution. The procedure was applied to Genil–Cabra Irrigation Scheme of Spain, where irrigation water supply is often limited by regional drought. Compared with traditional applications of water balance models (i.e. without the satellite-based ET), the combined procedure provided significant improvements in irrigation schedules for both the average condition and when considering field-to-field variability. A 24% reduction in application of water was estimated for cotton if the improved irrigation schedules were followed. Irrigation efficiency calculated using satellite-based ET and actual applied irrigation water helped to identify specific agricultural fields experiencing problems in water management, as well as to estimate general irrigation efficiencies of the scheme by irrigation and crop type. Estimation of field irrigation efficiency ranged from 0.72 for cotton to 0.90 for sugar beet.

[1]  G. W. Kite,et al.  Using a basin-scale hydrological model to estimate crop transpiration and soil evaporation , 2000 .

[2]  I. A. Walter,et al.  The ASCE standardized reference evapotranspiration equation , 2005 .

[3]  K.M.P.S Bandara,et al.  Monitoring irrigation performance in Sri Lanka with high-frequency satellite measurements during the dry season , 2003 .

[4]  L. Mateos.  A simulation study of comparison of the evaluation procedures for three irrigation methods , 2006, Irrigation Science.

[5]  A. Holtslag,et al.  A remote sensing surface energy balance algorithm for land (SEBAL)-1. Formulation , 1998 .

[6]  Vinay Kumar Dadhwal,et al.  Estimation of crop evapotranspiration of irrigation command area using remote sensing and GIS , 2001 .

[7]  Martha M. Bakker,et al.  Low Cost Satellite Data for Monthly Irrigation Performance Monitoring: Benchmarks from Nilo Coelho, Brazil , 2001 .

[8]  Wim G.M. Bastiaanssen,et al.  Irrigation Performance Indicators Based on Remotely Sensed Data: a Review of Literature , 1999 .

[9]  E. Fereres,et al.  Evaluating irrigation performance in a Mediterranean environment , 2004, Irrigation Science.

[10]  M. Guérif,et al.  Adjustment procedures of a crop model to the site specific characteristics of soil and crop using remote sensing data assimilation , 2000 .

[11]  Wim G.M. Bastiaanssen,et al.  Relating Crop Water Consumption to Irrigation Water Supply by Remote Sensing , 1997 .

[12]  Dirk Raes,et al.  Improving irrigation management by modelling the irrigation schedule , 1988 .

[13]  E. Noordman,et al.  SEBAL model with remotely sensed data to improve water-resources management under actual field conditions , 2005 .

[14]  I-Pai Wu.  Linearized Water Application Function for Drip Irrigation Schedules , 1987 .

[15]  Albert J. Clemmens,et al.  Irrigation Performance Measures: Efficiency and Uniformity , 1997 .

[16]  Richard G. Allen,et al.  Analytical integrated functions for daily solar radiation on slopes , 2006 .

[17]  James L. Wright,et al.  Operational aspects of satellite-based energy balance models for irrigated crops in the semi-arid U.S. , 2005 .

[18]  Jean L. Steiner,et al.  Bowen ratio, eddy correlation, and portable chamber measurements of sensible and latent heat flux over irrigated spring wheat* , 1991 .

[19]  X. Moa,et al.  Prediction of crop yield , water consumption and water use efficiency with a SVAT-crop growth model using remotely sensed data on the North China Plain , 2005 .

[20]  Luis S. Pereira,et al.  FAO-56 Dual Crop Coefficient Method for Estimating Evaporation from Soil and Application Extensions , 2005 .

[21]  Wim G.M. Bastiaanssen,et al.  Irrigation Performance using Hydrological and Remote Sensing Modeling , 2002 .

[22]  M. B. Coelhoa,et al.  Modeling root growth and the soil – plant – atmosphere continuum of cotton crops , 2003 .

[23]  J. Feyen,et al.  Spatial and Temporal Variability Performance of the Water Delivery in Irrigation Schemes , 2001 .

[24]  Simona Consoli,et al.  Remote sensing to estimate ET-fluxes and the performance of an irrigation district in southern Italy , 2006 .

[25]  Richard G. Allen,et al.  Satellite-Based Energy Balance for Mapping Evapotranspiration with Internalized Calibration (METRIC)—Model , 2007 .

[26]  J. Ritchie,et al.  Modeling Plant and Soil Systems , 1991 .

[27]  James L. Wright,et al.  Satellite-Based Energy Balance for Mapping Evapotranspiration with Internalized Calibration (METRIC)—Applications , 2007 .

[28]  Anthony Morse,et al.  A Landsat-based energy balance and evapotranspiration model in Western US water rights regulation and planning , 2005 .

[29]  Benoît Duchemin,et al.  Combining FAO-56 model and ground-based remote sensing to estimate water consumptions of wheat crops in a semi-arid region , 2007 .

[30]  Comparing estimates of actual evapotranspiration from satellites, hydrological models, and field data : a case study from Western Turkey , 2000 .

[31]  Pasquale Steduto,et al.  A systematic and quantitative approach to improve water use efficiency in agriculture , 2007, Irrigation Science.

[32]  I. Lorite,et al.  Regional calibration of Hargreaves equation for estimating reference ET in a semiarid environment , 2006 .

[33]  L. S. Pereira,et al.  Crop evapotranspiration : guidelines for computing crop water requirements , 1998 .

[34]  R. Allen,et al.  Satellite-based ET mapping to assess variation in ET with timing of crop development , 2007 .

[35]  Peter Droogers,et al.  Comparing evapotranspiration estimates from satellites, hydrological models and field data , 2000 .

[36]  E. Fereres,et al.  Evaluating irrigation performance in a Mediterranean environment , 2004, Irrigation Science.