Lysimetric Evaluation of the APEX Model to Simulate Daily ET for Irrigated Crops in the Texas High Plains

2018 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Saleh ◽  
Rewati Niraula ◽  
Gary W. Marek ◽  
Prasanna H. Gowda ◽  
David K. Brauer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Potential Evapotranspiration ◽  
Simulation Models ◽  
Weather Data ◽  
High Plains ◽  
Climate Data ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Texas High Plains ◽  
Apex Model

Abstract. The NTT (Nutrient Tracking Tool) was designed to provide an opportunity for all users, including producers, to run complex simulation models, such as APEX (Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender), with the associated required databases. The APEX model currently nested within NTT provides estimates of the changes in nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and sediment losses that are associated with management practices specified by the user. Five methods (Penman-Monteith, Penman, Priestley-Taylor, Hargreaves-Samani, and Baier-Robertson) for determining potential evapotranspiration (PET) are available as inputs for estimating actual ET. This study was conducted to evaluate the accuracy of the ET values obtained from the five PET equations currently available in APEX using both onsite measured climate data and data from the NTT standard databases. The mean daily, monthly, and annual ET values predicted by each of the equations in APEX for a lysimeter field at the USDA-ARS Conservation and Production Research Laboratory at Bushland, Texas, was compared to values measured for the 2001-2010 period. APEX generally underestimated ET with all PET methods (mostly during growing seasons) at both the daily and monthly levels but overpredicted for years when cotton was grown as the major cash crop due to overprediction of leaf area index during the senescing stage for cotton. The underprediction of ET in growing seasons was possibly from underprediction of rainfall due to estimation of rainfall for missing data. Overall, APEX was able to adequately (R2 = 0.82 and NSE = 0.80) predict mean monthly ET for major crops grown in the semi-arid Texas High Plains region. These results should reinforce confidence in APEX’s ability to simulate ET accurately for fully irrigated farms. ET predictions with the Hargreaves-Samani and Priestley-Taylor methods, which require limited data compared to the Penman and Penman-Monteith methods, were similar (p > 0.05, one-way ANOVA), with mean errors within 8.7% for measured weather data and 12.6% for NTT-generated weather data for both methods. This is encouraging because of the limited availability of measured climate data for the majority of locations in the world, including the U.S. Keywords: APEX, Evapotranspiration (ET), Irrigation, Lysimeters, NTT, Semiarid regions.

scholarly journals Prediction of Biome-Specific Potential Evapotranspiration in Mongolia under a Scarcity of Weather Data

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 2470
Author(s):  
Khulan Batsukh ◽  
Vitaly A. Zlotnik ◽  
Andrew Suyker ◽  
Paolo Nasta
Keyword(s):  
Potential Evapotranspiration ◽  
Aridity Index ◽  
Crop Coefficient ◽  
Weather Data ◽  
Gobi Desert ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Food And Agriculture ◽  
Food And Agriculture Organization ◽  
Practical Guidelines ◽  
Specific Potential

We propose practical guidelines to predict biome-specific potential evapotranspiration (ETp) from the knowledge of grass-reference evapotranspiration (ET0) and a crop coefficient (Kc) in Mongolia. A paucity of land-based weather data hampers use of the Penman–Monteith equation (FAO-56 PM) based on the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) guidelines to predict daily ET0. We found that the application of the Hargreaves equation provides ET0 estimates very similar to those from the FAO-56 PM approach. The Kc value is tabulated only for crops in the FAO-56 guidelines but is unavailable for steppe grasslands. Therefore, we proposed a new crop coefficient, Kc adj defined by (a) net solar radiation in the Gobi Desert (Kc adjD) or (b) leaf area index in the steppe region (Kc adjS) in Mongolia. The mean annual ETp obtained using our approach was compared to that obtained by FAO-56 guidelines for forages (not steppe) based on tabulated Kc values in 41 locations in Mongolia. We found the differences are acceptable (RMSE of 0.40 mm d−1) in northern Mongolia under high vegetation cover but rather high (RMSE of 1.69 and 2.65 mm d−1) in central and southern Mongolia. The FAO aridity index (AI) is empirically related to the ETp/ET0 ratio. Approximately 80% and 54% reduction of ET0 was reported in the Gobi Desert and in the steppe locations, respectively. Our proposed Kc adj can be further improved by considering local weather data and plant phenological characteristics.

scholarly journals (316) Simulation Study of the Competitive Ability of Erect, Semi-erect, and Prostrate Cowpea Genotypes

HortScience ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 1044C-1044
Author(s):  
Guangyao Wang ◽  
Milton E. McGiffen ◽  
John L. Lindquist ◽  
Jeff D. Ehlers ◽  
Ivan Sartorato
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
Biomass Production ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Growth Habit ◽  
Simulation Models ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Common Purslane ◽  
Growth Habits

Ecophysiological simulation models provide a quantitative method to predict the effects of management practices, plant characteristics, and environmental factors on crop and weed growth and competition. The INTERCOM interplant competition model was parameterized, calibrated by monoculture data for three cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) genotypes that differed in growth habit, common sunflower (Helianthus annuus), and common purslane (Portulaca oleracea), and used to simulate competition of cowpea cover crops with sunflower or purslane. The simulation results were compared with observations from field competition experiments in 2003 and 2004. INTERCOM did not simulate biomass production and leaf area index (LAI) of cowpea and purslane well, probably due to a lack of published data on purslane physiology. INTERCOM simulated the competition of cowpea genotypes and sunflower accurately. The simulation model of cowpea and sunflower at two densities was used to study the effects of cowpea growth habits on final biomass production of cowpea and sunflower. The model suggested that the erect growth habit was more competitive than the semi-erect and prostrate growth habits when cowpea genotypes were grown with sunflower. Cowpea leaf area distribution was important to higher cowpea biomass production, while cowpea height growth was important to reduce sunflower biomass.

scholarly journals Characterization of Intercrop Movement of Lygus hesperus between Cotton and Alfalfa

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-19
Author(s):  
Ram B. Shrestha ◽  
Megha Parajulee
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
The United States ◽  
Movement Behavior ◽  
High Plains ◽  
Lygus Hesperus ◽  
Texas High Plains ◽  
Mark Release Recapture ◽  
Polyphagous Insect

Lygus hesperus Knight (Miridae: Hemiptera), a key pest of cotton in the United States, is a highly polyphagous insect. Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. var. hirsutum) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) are two major field crop hosts of Lygus hesperus in the Texas High Plains. While alfalfa is considered a source of Lygus in cotton, Lygus intercrop movement behavior has not been fully characterized in cotton-alfalfa systems. Understanding the intercrop movement behavior of Lygus may facilitate better decision-making for Lygus management in these crops. A series of studies including a mark-release-recapture study and season-long field monitoring of Lygus were conducted in the Texas High Plains, USA. Season-long field marking and monitoring of Lygus intercrop movement revealed bidirectional Lygus movement and confirmed that Lygus preferred alfalfa over cotton. Net movement of Lygus between cotton and alfalfa was influenced by cotton phenology. A “two-crop/two-marker” field-marking and monitoring approach was successfully applied in characterizing Lygus seasonal intercrop movement. This approach can be used to study the effect of various crop management practices on Lygus intercrop movement and is applicable to other pests and cropping systems.

Modeling Evapotranspiration and Crop Growth of Irrigated and Non-Irrigated Corn in the Texas High Plains Using RZWQM

2018 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 1653-1666 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huihui Zhang ◽  
Robert Wayne Malone ◽  
Liwang Ma ◽  
Lajpat R. Ahuja ◽  
Saseendran S. Anapalli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Stress ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Potential Evapotranspiration ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Stress Factors ◽  
Irrigated Agriculture ◽  
High Plains ◽  
Area Index

Abstract. Accurate quantification and management of crop evapotranspiration (ET) are critical to optimizing crop water productivity for both dryland and irrigated agriculture, especially in the semiarid regions of the world. In this study, four weighing lysimeters in Bushland, Texas, were planted to maize in 1994 with two fully irrigated and two non-irrigated for measuring crop ET. The Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM2) was used to evaluate soil water balance and crop production with potential evapotranspiration (PET) estimated from either the Shuttleworth-Wallace method (PTSW) or the ASCE standardized alfalfa reference ET multiplied by crop coefficients (PTASCE). As a result, two water stress factors were defined from actual transpiration (AT) and were tested in the model against the lysimeter data, i.e., AT/PTSW and AT/PTASCE. For both water stress factors, the simulated daily ET values were reasonably close to the measured values, with underestimated ET during mid-growing stage in both non-irrigated lysimeters. Root mean squared deviations (RMSDs) and relative RMSDs (RMSD/observed mean) values for leaf area index, biomass, soil water content, and daily ET were within simulation errors reported earlier in the literature. For example, the RMSDs of simulated daily ET were less than 1.52 mm for all irrigated and non-irrigated lysimeters. Overall, ET was simulated within 3% of the measured data for both fully irrigated lysimeters and undersimulated by less than 11% using both stress factors for the non-irrigated lysimeters. Our results suggest that both methods are promising for simulating crop production and ET under irrigated conditions, but the methods need to be improved for dryland and non-irrigated conditions. Keywords: ET, RZWQM modeling, Stress factor, Weighing lysimeter.

Using climate scenarios to evaluate future impacts on the groundwater resources and agricultural economy of the Texas High Plains

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 561-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachna Tewari ◽  
Jeff Johnson ◽  
Steven Mauget ◽  
Gary Leiker ◽  
Katharine Hayhoe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Potential Evapotranspiration ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
High Plains ◽  
Climate Projections ◽  
Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory ◽  
Net Income ◽  
Climate Scenarios ◽  
Agricultural Economy ◽  
Climate System Model ◽  
Texas High Plains

This study evaluated the impacts of future climate scenarios on the groundwater resources and agricultural economy of the Texas High Plains, using Hale county as a case study. Climate change impacts were incorporated into regional economic models using weather projections to develop crop response functions from crop models. These projections are based on quantitative projections of precipitation, potential evapotranspiration, and temperature trends driven by simulations from the latest IPCC AR4 climate models (Community Climate System Model (CCSM), Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL), UK Met Office Hadley Model (HadCM3), and Parallel Climate Model (PCM)) under two specific emissions scenarios, A1B (mid-range) and A1FI (higher). Results indicated that for both the emission scenarios, saturated thickness, water use per cropland acre, and irrigated acreage declined under climatic predictions by all four models. At the end of the 90 year horizon, the A1B scenario resulted in a decline in average net income per acre as predicted by the CCSM and HadCM3 models, while the GFDL and PCM models predicted an increase in average net income per acre. Under the A1FI scenario, the CCSM, GFDL, and PCM model projections led to increased average net income per acre, while climate projections under the HadCM3 model indicated a decline in average net income per acre at the end of the 90 year horizon.

scholarly journals Yields, Fruit Quality, and Water Use in a Jalapeno Pepper and Tomatoes under Open Field and High-tunnel Production Systems in the Texas High Plains

HortScience ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (10) ◽  
pp. 1632-1641
Author(s):  
Hyungmin Rho ◽  
Paul Colaizzi ◽  
James Gray ◽  
Li Paetzold ◽  
Qingwu Xue ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Use ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Severe Weather ◽  
High Plains ◽  
Vegetable Production ◽  
Crop Water ◽  
High Tunnel ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Texas High Plains ◽  
High Winds

The Texas High Plains has a semi-arid, hot, windy climate that features high evapotranspiration (ET) demands for crop production. Irrigation is essential for vegetable production in the region, but it is constrained by depleting groundwater from the Ogallala Aquifer. High-tunnel (HT) production systems may reduce irrigation water demand and protect crops from severe weather events (e.g., hail, high wind, freezing) common to the region. The objective of this study was to compare yields, fruit quality, crop water use, and crop water use efficiency (WUE) of jalapeno pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in HT and open field (OF) production systems. We hypothesized that the protection from dry and high winds by HT would improve yields and quality of fruits and reduce water use of peppers and tomatoes. During the 2018 and 2019 growing seasons, peppers and tomatoes were transplanted on two HT plots and two identical OF plots. Plastic mulch was used in combination with a surface drip irrigation system. Micrometeorological variables (incoming solar irradiance, air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed) and soil physical variables (soil temperature and volumetric soil water) were measured. Air temperatures were significantly higher during the daytime, and wind speed and light intensity were significantly lower in HT compared with OF. Despite the lower light intensity, yields were greater in HT compared with OF. The fruits grown in HT did not show significant differences in chemical quality attributes, such as ascorbic acid and lycopene contents, compared with those grown in OF. Because of protection from dry, high winds, plants in HT required less total water over the growing seasons compared with OF, resulting in increased WUE. The 2018 and 2019 data showed that HT production is advantageous as compared to conventional OF production in terms of increased WUE and severe weather risk mitigation for high-value vegetable production in the Texas High Plains.

scholarly journals The Impact of Seasonal Environments in a Tropical Savanna Climate on Forking, Leaf Area Index, and Biomass of Cassava Genotypes

Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phanupong Phoncharoen ◽  
Poramate Banterng ◽  
Nimitr Vorasoot ◽  
Sanun Jogloy ◽  
Piyada Theerakulpisut ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area Index ◽  
Leaf Area ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Weather Data ◽  
Storage Root ◽  
Storage Roots ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
The Impact ◽  
And Storage

Information on the forking, leaf area index, and biomass of cassava for different growing seasons could help design appropriate management to improve yield. The objective was to evaluate the forking date, leaf growth, and storage root yield of different cassava genotypes grown at different planting dates. Four cassava genotypes (Kasetsart 50, Rayong 9, Rayong 11, and CMR38–125–77) were evaluated using a randomized complete block design with four replications. The cassava genotypes were planted on 20 April, 25 May, 30 June, 5 October, 10 November, and 15 December 2015, and 19 May and 3 November 2016. The soil properties prior to the planting, forking date, leaf area index (LAI), dry weights, harvest index (HI), starch content, and weather data were recorded. The forking date patterns for all of the growing seasons varied depending on the cassava genotypes. The weather caused occurring in the first forking for the Rayong 11 and CMR38–125–77 and the second forking for Rayong 11, but not for Kasetsart 50. The forking CMR38–125–77 had a higher LAI, leaf dry weight, biomass, and storage root dry weight than the non-forking Rayong 9. The higher storage root yields in Rayong 9 compared with Rayong 11 were due to an increased partitioning of the storage roots.

scholarly journals Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Historical and Future Climate Data in the Texas High Plains

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (15) ◽  
pp. 6036
Author(s):  
Yong Chen ◽  
Gary W. Marek ◽  
Thomas H. Marek ◽  
Dana O. Porter ◽  
Jerry E. Moorhead ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
General Circulation Models ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
High Plains ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Climate Data ◽  
Air Temperatures ◽  
Texas High Plains ◽  
Spatio Temporal

Agricultural production in the Texas High Plains (THP) relies heavily on irrigation and is susceptible to drought due to the declining availability of groundwater and climate change. Therefore, it is meaningful to perform an overview of possible climate change scenarios to provide appropriate strategies for climate change adaptation in the THP. In this study, spatio-temporal variations of climate data were mapped in the THP during 2000–2009, 2050–2059, and 2090–2099 periods using 14 research-grade meteorological stations and 19 bias-corrected General Circulation Models (GCMs) under representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios RCP 4.5 and 8.5. Results indicated different bias correction methods were needed for different climatic parameters and study purposes. For example, using high-quality data from the meteorological stations, the linear scaling method was selected to alter the projected precipitation while air temperatures were bias corrected using the quantile mapping method. At the end of the 21st century (2090–2099) under the severe CO2 emission scenario (RCP 8.5), the maximum and minimum air temperatures could increase from 3.9 to 10.0 °C and 2.8 to 8.4 °C across the entire THP, respectively, while precipitation could decrease by ~7.5% relative to the historical (2000–2009) observed data. However, large uncertainties were found according to 19 GCM projections.

scholarly journals Assessing the impacts of irrigation termination periods on cotton productivity under strategic deficit irrigation regimes

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sushil K. Himanshu ◽  
Srinivasulu Ale ◽  
James P. Bordovsky ◽  
JungJin Kim ◽  
Sayantan Samanta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Use ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Weather Data ◽  
Physiological Data ◽  
High Plains ◽  
Cotton Yield ◽  
Cotton Production ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Irrigation Water Use

AbstractDetermining optimum irrigation termination periods for cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is crucial for efficient utilization and conservation of finite groundwater resources of the Ogallala Aquifer in the Texas High Plains (THP) region. The goal of this study was to suggest optimum irrigation termination periods for different Evapotranspiration (ET) replacement-based irrigation strategies to optimize cotton yield and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) using the CROPGRO-Cotton model. We re-evaluated a previously evaluated CROPGRO-Cotton model using updated yield and in-season physiological data from 2017 to 2019 growing seasons from an IWUE experiment at Halfway, TX. The re-evaluated model was then used to study the effects of combinations of irrigation termination periods (between August 15 and September 30) and deficit/excess irrigation strategies (55%-115% ET-replacement) under dry, normal and wet years using weather data from 1978 to 2019. The 85% ET-replacement strategy was found ideal for optimizing irrigation water use and cotton yield, and the optimum irrigation termination period for this strategy was found to be the first week of September during dry and normal years, and the last week of August during wet years. Irrigation termination periods suggested in this study are useful for optimizing cotton production and IWUE under different levels of irrigation water availability.

scholarly journals From precipitation to groundwater baseflow in a native prairie ecosystem: a regional study of the Konza LTER in the Flint Hills of Kansas, USA

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 4195-4228 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. R. Steward ◽  
X. Yang ◽  
S. Y. Lauwo ◽  
S. A. Staggenborg ◽  
G. L. Macpherson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Recharge ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Transmission Loss ◽  
Weather Data ◽  
Mean Annual Precipitation ◽  
Climate Data ◽  
Native Prairie ◽  
Flint Hills ◽  
Creek Watershed ◽  
Prairie Ecosystem

Abstract. Methods are developed to study hydrologic interactions across the surficial/groundwater interface in a native prairie ecosystem. Surficial ecohydrologic processes are simulated with the USDA's EPIC model using daily climate data from the Kansas Weather Data Library, vegetation and soil data from the USDA, and current land-use management practices. Results show that mean annual precipitation (from 1985–2005) is partitioned into 13% runoff regionally and 14% locally over the Konza LTER, lateral flow through soil is 1% regionally and 2% locally, groundwater recharge is 11% regionally and 9% locally, and evapotranspiration accounts for the remaining 75%. The spatial distribution of recharge was used in a regional Modflow groundwater model that was calibrated to existing groundwater observations and field measurements gathered for this study, giving a hydraulic conductivity in the Flint Hills region of 1–2 m day−1 with a local zone (identified here) of 0.05–0.1 m day−1. Simple log-log relations correlate the enhanced recharge beneath ephemeral upland streams and baseflow in perennial lowland streams to the unknown resistance of the streambeds. Enhanced recharge due to stream transmission loss (the difference between terrestrial runoff and streamflow) represents a small fraction of streamflow in the ephemeral upland and the resistance of this streambed is 100 000 day. Long-term baseflow in the local Kings Creek watershed (2% of the groundwater recharge over the watershed) is met when the resistance of the lowland streambed is 1000 day. The coupled framework developed here to study surficial ecohydrological processes using EPIC and groundwater hydrogeological processes using Modflow provides a baseline hydrologic assessment and a computational platform for future investigations to examine the impacts of climate change, vegetative cover, soils, and management practices on hydrologic forcings.

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