Evaluation of a hybrid remote sensing evapotranspiration model for variable rate irrigation management

Use of geographic information systems and remote sensing as automated tool for variable rate irrigation prescriptions

10.32469/10355/79549 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Anh Thi Tuan Nguyen

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Real Time ◽

Regression Models ◽

Field Data ◽

Irrigation Management ◽

Irrigation Scheduling ◽

Crop Growth ◽

Variable Rate ◽

Water Application ◽

Center Pivot

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Economic as well as water shortage pressure on agricultural use of water has placed added emphasis on efficient irrigation management. Center pivot technology has made great improvement with variable rate irrigation (VRI) technology to vary water application spatially and temporally to maximize the economic and environmental return. Proper management of VRI systems depends on correctly matching the pivot application to specific field temporal and areal conditions. There is need for a tool to accurately and inexpensively define dynamic management zones, to sense within-field variability in real time, and control variable rate water application so that producers are more willing to adopt and utilize the advantages of VRI systems. This study included tests of the center pivot system uniformity performance in 2014 at Delta Research Center in Portageville, MO. The goal of this research was to develop MOPivot software with an algorithm to determine unique management areas under center pivot systems based on system design and limitations. The MOPivot tool automates prescriptions for VRI center pivot based on non-uniform water needs while avoiding potential runoff and deep percolation. The software was validated for use in real-time irrigation management in 2018 for VRI control system of a Valley 8000 center pivot planted to corn. The water balance model was used to manage irrigation scheduling. Field data, together with soil moisture sensor measurement of soil water content, were used to develop the regression model of remote sensing-based crop coefficient (Kc). Remote sensing vegetation index in conjunction with GDD and crop growth stages in regression models showed high correlation with Kc. Validation of those regression models was done using Centralia, MO, field data in 2016. The MOPivot successfully created prescriptions to match system capacity of the management zone based on system limitations for center pivot management. Along with GIS data sources, MOPivot effectively provides readily available graphical prescription maps, which can be edited and directly uploaded to a center pivot control panel. The modeled Kc compared well with FAO Kc. By combining GDD and crop growth in the models, these models would account for local weather conditions and stage of crop during growing season as time index in estimating Kc. These models with Fraction of growth (FrG) and cumulative growing degree days (cGDD) had a higher coefficient of efficiency, higher Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient of efficiency and higher Willmott index of agreement. Future work should include improvement in the MOPivot software with different crops and aerial remote sensing imagery to generate dynamic prescriptions during the season to support irrigation scheduling for real-time monitoring of field conditions.

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<i>Application of deficit irrigation management to variable rate irrigation for winter wheat in sub-arid climates</i>

10.13031/aim.201700875 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Xiumei Li ◽

Weixia Zhao ◽

Jiusheng Li ◽

Yanfeng Li

Keyword(s):

Winter Wheat ◽

Deficit Irrigation ◽

Irrigation Management ◽

Variable Rate ◽

Variable Rate Irrigation

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Evaluation of variable rate irrigation using a remote-sensing-based model

Agricultural Water Management ◽

10.1016/j.agwat.2018.02.022 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 203 ◽

pp. 63-74 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

J. Burdette Barker ◽

Derek M. Heeren ◽

Christopher M.U. Neale ◽

Daran R. Rudnick

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Variable Rate ◽

Variable Rate Irrigation

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Variable Rate Irrigation Management for Humid Climates Using a Conventional Center Pivot System

10.13031/2013.35858 ◽

2010 ◽

Author(s):

Allen L Thompson ◽

Kenneth A Sudduth ◽

Joseph C Henggeler ◽

Earl D Vories ◽

Andrew D Rackers

Keyword(s):

Irrigation Management ◽

Variable Rate ◽

Center Pivot ◽

Variable Rate Irrigation

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Variable-rate irrigation management using an expert system in the eastern coastal plain

Irrigation Science ◽

10.1007/s00271-014-0457-x ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 33 (3) ◽

pp. 167-175 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

K. C. Stone ◽

P. J. Bauer ◽

W. J. Busscher ◽

J. A. Millen ◽

D. E. Evans ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Expert System ◽

Coastal Plain ◽

Irrigation Management ◽

Variable Rate ◽

Variable Rate Irrigation

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Potential Water Conservation Using Site-Specific Variable Rate Irrigation

Applied Engineering in Agriculture ◽

10.13031/aea.13108 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 35 (6) ◽

pp. 881-888

Author(s):

Kenneth C Stone ◽

Philip J Bauer ◽

Gilbert C Sigua

Keyword(s):

Water Conservation ◽

Irrigation Management ◽

Field Capacity ◽

Weather Conditions ◽

Variable Rate ◽

Water Usage ◽

Site Specific ◽

Management Zones ◽

Water Holding ◽

Variable Rate Irrigation

Abstract. Site-specific variable-rate irrigation (VRI) systems can be used to spatially manage irrigation within sub-field-sized zones and optimize spatial water use efficiency. The goal of the research is to provide farmers and consultants a tool to evaluate the potential benefits of implementing VRI. The specific objective of this research is to evaluate the potential water savings using VRI management compared with uniform irrigation management to maintain soil water holding capacity above 50% depletion using two irrigation scenarios: 1) a standard 12.5 mm irrigation per application; and 2) an application to refill the soil profile to field capacity. A 21-year simulation study was carried out on a selected field with varying degrees of soil and topographic variability. The simulated field had 12 soil mapping units with water holding capacities in the top 0.30-m ranging from 42 to 70 mm. The 21-year simulation covering all weather conditions for each soil produced only two significantly different irrigation management zones for scenario 1, and for scenario 2 only one management zone. However, when the 21-year period was divided into periods with different ratios of rainfall to reference evapotranspiration, the simulations identified 1 to 5 management zones with significantly different irrigation requirements. These results indicate that variable rate irrigation system design and management should not be solely based on long term average weather conditions. Years with differing weather conditions should be used for potentially identifying management zones for VRI systems. Irrigation application depths between management zones ranged from 17 to 38 mm. However, when the actual soil areas of the study field were utilized to calculate the total volume of irrigation water applied, it resulted in an increase in water usage in the 2 and 4 management zones ranging from -1.2% to 5.8%. Water usage with VRI over uniform irrigation was greater by -1.6% to 6.8% in the 12.5 mm irrigations and by -1.2% to 2.2% for the field capacity irrigations Keywords: Management zones, Precision farming, Variable-rate irrigation, Water conservation.

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