IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agiwat/v295y2024ics0378377424000994.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Measurement and estimation of evapotranspiration in a maize field: A new method based on an analytical water flux model

Author

Listed:
  • Liu, Yutong
  • Lu, Yili
  • Sadeghi, Morteza
  • Horton, Robert
  • Ren, Tusheng

Abstract

Quantifying evapotranspiration (ET) in rainfed cropping systems can be challenging due to complicated interactions among site-specific soil, plant, and management factors. In Northeast China, ET and soil water status in maize fields often display strong spatial and temporal variations due to the changes in tillage practice, planting pattern, and maize plant density. Previous studies have shown that near-surface soil water content (θ) observations at multiple scales provide the potential to estimate surface soil water fluxes. In this study, we introduced a new method to estimate daily field ET by using a soil water flux model mainly based on the time-series of θ at a depth of 2.5 cm. The new method required a calibration of soil water diffusivity with maximum net water flux in the near-surface soil layer, which was related to precipitation redistribution below the canopy. Finally, the new method was evaluated using observed ET values over a 2-year period in a maize field, where independent measurements of soil water evaporation (E) and transpiration (T) were made with heat-pulse sensors and sap-flow gauges, respectively. Field observations showed that E dominated water loss during the seedling stage (16% of total ET). As the canopy was fully developed, E sharply decreased to a value of 0.4 mm d−1, and T accounted for about 89% of ET since the silking stage. The new method to estimate ET performed well in drying periods, while it tended to underestimate ET in wet periods with substantial infiltration into the surface layer. On rain-free days, the ET values estimated with the new method matched well with the measured E+T values, with R2 and RMSE values of 0.85 and 1.93 mm d−1. Therefore, the new approach provides an effective way to quantify maize ET.

Suggested Citation

  • Liu, Yutong & Lu, Yili & Sadeghi, Morteza & Horton, Robert & Ren, Tusheng, 2024. "Measurement and estimation of evapotranspiration in a maize field: A new method based on an analytical water flux model," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 295(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:295:y:2024:i:c:s0378377424000994
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2024.108764
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377424000994
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.agwat.2024.108764?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jiang, Xuelian & Kang, Shaozhong & Tong, Ling & Li, Sien & Ding, Risheng & Du, Taisheng, 2019. "Modeling evapotranspiration and its components of maize for seed production in an arid region of northwest China using a dual crop coefficient and multisource models," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 222(C), pages 105-117.
    2. Zhang, Rui & Seki, Katsutoshi & Wang, Li, 2023. "Quantifying the contribution of meteorological factors and plant traits to canopy interception under maize cropland," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 279(C).
    3. Zhao, Peng & Li, Sien & Li, Fusheng & Du, Taisheng & Tong, Ling & Kang, Shaozhong, 2015. "Comparison of dual crop coefficient method and Shuttleworth–Wallace model in evapotranspiration partitioning in a vineyard of northwest China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 41-56.
    4. Holmes, J. W., 1984. "Measuring evapotranspiration by hydrological methods," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 8(1-3), pages 29-40, January.
    5. Allen, Richard G. & Pereira, Luis S. & Howell, Terry A. & Jensen, Marvin E., 2011. "Evapotranspiration information reporting: I. Factors governing measurement accuracy," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 98(6), pages 899-920, April.
    6. Liu, Haijun & Zhang, Ruihao & Zhang, Liwei & Wang, Xuming & Li, Yan & Huang, Guanhua, 2015. "Stemflow of water on maize and its influencing factors," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 35-41.
    7. Wang, Yueyue & Horton, Robert & Xue, Xuzhang & Ren, Tusheng, 2021. "Partitioning evapotranspiration by measuring soil water evaporation with heat-pulse sensors and plant transpiration with sap flow gauges," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 252(C).
    8. Evett, Steven R. & Schwartz, Robert C. & Casanova, Joaquin J. & Heng, Lee K., 2012. "Soil water sensing for water balance, ET and WUE," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 1-9.
    9. Zheng, Jing & Fan, Junliang & Zhang, Fucang & Yan, Shicheng & Xiang, Youzhen, 2018. "Rainfall partitioning into throughfall, stemflow and interception loss by maize canopy on the semi-arid Loess Plateau of China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 195(C), pages 25-36.
    10. Liu, Y. & Pereira, L.S. & Fernando, R.M., 2006. "Fluxes through the bottom boundary of the root zone in silty soils: Parametric approaches to estimate groundwater contribution and percolation," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 84(1-2), pages 27-40, July.
    11. Luo, Chenyi & Wang, Zhuangji & Sauer, Thomas J. & Helmers, Matthew J. & Horton, Robert, 2018. "Portable canopy chamber measurements of evapotranspiration in corn, soybean, and reconstructed prairie," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 198(C), pages 1-9.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Haofang Yan & Song Huang & Jianyun Zhang & Chuan Zhang & Guoqing Wang & Lanlan Li & Shuang Zhao & Mi Li & Baoshan Zhao, 2022. "Comparison of Shuttleworth–Wallace and Dual Crop Coefficient Method for Estimating Evapotranspiration of a Tea Field in Southeast China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-17, September.
    2. Miao, Qingfeng & Rosa, Ricardo D. & Shi, Haibin & Paredes, Paula & Zhu, Li & Dai, Jiaxin & Gonçalves, José M. & Pereira, Luis S., 2016. "Modeling water use, transpiration and soil evaporation of spring wheat–maize and spring wheat–sunflower relay intercropping using the dual crop coefficient approach," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 211-229.
    3. Paredes, Paula & Pereira, Luis S. & Rodrigues, Gonçalo C. & Botelho, Nuno & Torres, Maria Odete, 2017. "Using the FAO dual crop coefficient approach to model water use and productivity of processing pea (Pisum sativum L.) as influenced by irrigation strategies," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 189(C), pages 5-18.
    4. Feng, Yu & Gong, Daozhi & Mei, Xurong & Hao, Weiping & Tang, Dahua & Cui, Ningbo, 2017. "Energy balance and partitioning in partial plastic mulched and non-mulched maize fields on the Loess Plateau of China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 191(C), pages 193-206.
    5. Darouich, Hanaa & Karfoul, Razan & Ramos, Tiago B. & Moustafa, Ali & Shaheen, Baraa & Pereira, Luis S., 2021. "Crop water requirements and crop coefficients for jute mallow (Corchorus olitorius L.) using the SIMDualKc model and assessing irrigation strategies for the Syrian Akkar region," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 255(C).
    6. Fuentes, Sigfredo & Ortega-Farías, Samuel & Carrasco-Benavides, Marcos & Tongson, Eden & Gonzalez Viejo, Claudia, 2024. "Actual evapotranspiration and energy balance estimation from vineyards using micro-meteorological data and machine learning modeling," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 297(C).
    7. Hui, Xin & Zheng, Yudong & Yan, Haijun, 2021. "Water distributions of low-pressure sprinklers as affected by the maize canopy under a centre pivot irrigation system," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 245(C).
    8. Rosa, R.D. & Ramos, T.B. & Pereira, L.S., 2016. "The dual Kc approach to assess maize and sweet sorghum transpiration and soil evaporation under saline conditions: Application of the SIMDualKc model," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 77-94.
    9. Zhao, Nana & Liu, Yu & Cai, Jiabing & Paredes, Paula & Rosa, Ricardo D. & Pereira, Luis S., 2013. "Dual crop coefficient modelling applied to the winter wheat–summer maize crop sequence in North China Plain: Basal crop coefficients and soil evaporation component," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 93-105.
    10. Liu, Meihan & Paredes, Paula & Shi, Haibin & Ramos, Tiago B. & Dou, Xu & Dai, Liping & Pereira, Luis S., 2022. "Impacts of a shallow saline water table on maize evapotranspiration and groundwater contribution using static water table lysimeters and the dual Kc water balance model SIMDualKc," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 273(C).
    11. Pereira, L.S. & Paredes, P. & Hunsaker, D.J. & López-Urrea, R. & Mohammadi Shad, Z., 2021. "Standard single and basal crop coefficients for field crops. Updates and advances to the FAO56 crop water requirements method," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    12. Wu, Yao & Liu, Tingxi & Paredes, Paula & Duan, Limin & Pereira, Luis S., 2015. "Water use by a groundwater dependent maize in a semi-arid region of Inner Mongolia: Evapotranspiration partitioning and capillary rise," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 222-232.
    13. Liu, Meihan & Shi, Haibin & Paredes, Paula & Ramos, Tiago B. & Dai, Liping & Feng, Zhuangzhuang & Pereira, Luis S., 2022. "Estimating and partitioning maize evapotranspiration as affected by salinity using weighing lysimeters and the SIMDualKc model," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 261(C).
    14. Zhao, Tianxing & Zhu, Yan & Ye, Ming & Yang, Jinzhong & Jia, Biao & Mao, Wei & Wu, Jingwei, 2022. "A new approach for estimating spatial-temporal phreatic evapotranspiration at a regional scale using NDVI and water table depth measurements," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 264(C).
    15. Diarra, A. & Jarlan, L. & Er-Raki, S. & Le Page, M. & Aouade, G. & Tavernier, A. & Boulet, G. & Ezzahar, J. & Merlin, O. & Khabba, S., 2017. "Performance of the two-source energy budget (TSEB) model for the monitoring of evapotranspiration over irrigated annual crops in North Africa," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 193(C), pages 71-88.
    16. Abou Ali, Asma & Bouchaou, Lhoussaine & Er-Raki, Salah & Hssaissoune, Mohammed & Brouziyne, Youssef & Ezzahar, Jamal & Khabba, Saïd & Chakir, Adnane & Labbaci, Adnane & Chehbouni, Abdelghani, 2023. "Assessment of crop evapotranspiration and deep percolation in a commercial irrigated citrus orchard under semi-arid climate: Combined Eddy-Covariance measurement and soil water balance-based approach," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 275(C).
    17. Qin, Shujing & Li, Sien & Cheng, Lei & Zhang, Lu & Qiu, Rangjian & Liu, Pan & Xi, Haiyang, 2023. "Partitioning evapotranspiration in partially mulched interplanted croplands by improving the Shuttleworth-Wallace model," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 276(C).
    18. Liu, Minguo & Wu, Xiaojuan & Yang, Huimin, 2022. "Evapotranspiration characteristics and soil water balance of alfalfa grasslands under regulated deficit irrigation in the inland arid area of Midwestern China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    19. Mingze Yao & Manman Gao & Jingkuan Wang & Bo Li & Lizhen Mao & Mingyu Zhao & Zhanyang Xu & Hongfei Niu & Tieliang Wang & Lei Sun & Dongshuang Niu, 2023. "Estimating Evapotranspiration of Greenhouse Tomato under Different Irrigation Levels Using a Modified Dual Crop Coefficient Model in Northeast China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-19, September.
    20. Pereira, Luis S. & Paredes, Paula & Rodrigues, Gonçalo C. & Neves, Manuela, 2015. "Modeling malt barley water use and evapotranspiration partitioning in two contrasting rainfall years. Assessing AquaCrop and SIMDualKc models," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 239-254.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:295:y:2024:i:c:s0378377424000994. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/agwat .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.