Accuracy of canopy temperature energy balance for determining daily evapotranspiration

The application of a single-layer canopy temperature energy balance (CTEB) model for determining integrated daily ET rates was tested, with possible applications towards determining irrigation requirements (''how much to irrigate'') as a complement to crop water stress index (CWSI) measurements (''when to irrigate''), an irrigation scheduling tool which uses much of the same data. Evapotranspiration (ET) rates estimated using the CTEB model were compared to Bowen ratio energy balance (BREB) measurements made over substantial portions of the growing seasons of corn and potato crops. Canopy temperature, net radiation and soil heat flux data were collected and analyzed at 20-minute intervals, and ET for each interval was summed to obtain daily and multi-day estimations. Only full canopy conditions were examined. Two methods for atmospheric stability correction were applied to the aerodynamic resistance required by the CTEB model; an iterative procedure proposed by Campbell, and a second procedure proposed by Monteith which uses an adjustment coefficient. To reduce instrumentation requirements for combined CTEB/CWSI data collection, estimates of ET were also determined using net radiation and soil heat flux values estimated from solar radiation measurements. Re suits showed that uncorrected CTEB ET estimates agreed reasonably well with BREB measurements over corn and potato canopies (RMSE = 0.5 to 0.7 mm day(-1) for observed average ET ranging from 4.8 to 5.5 mm day(-1)), with a trend toward seasonal overprediction with corn. Stability corrections usually lowered the daily RMSE 0.1 to 0.2 mm day(-1) with seasonal ET more in agreement with BREB ET. The Monteith-based adjustment gave slightly better results. CTEB ET model with estimated net radiation and soil heat flux terms produced similar average and total ET, but somewhat larger daily errors (RMSE=0.5 to 0.9 mm day(-1)). Seasonal total ET by the uncorrected CTEB model generally overestimated within 10% (ranging from 1% to 10%) of the observed BREB total ET, an acceptable error for most irrigation practices. Stability corrections generally caused seasonal ET to be underestimated within 1% to 9%.