Comparison of Ten Potential Evapotranspiration Models and Their Attribution Analyses for Ten Chinese Drainage Basins

Potential evapotranspiration(EPET)is usually calculated by empirical methods from surface meteorological variables,such as temperature,radiation and wind speed.The in-situ measured pan evaporation(ETpan)can also be used as a proxy for EPET.In this study,EPET values computed from ten models are compared with observed ETpan data in ten Chinese river basins for the period 1961−2013.The daily observed meteorological variables at 2267 stations are used as the input to those models,and a ranking scheme is applied to rank the statistical quantities(ratio of standard deviations,correlation coefficient,and ratio of trends)between ETpan and modeled EPET in different river basins.There are large deviations between the modeled EPET and the ETpan in both the magnitude and the annual trend at most stations.In eight of the basins(except for Southeast and Southwest China),ETpan shows decreasing trends with magnitudes ranging between−0.01 mm d−1 yr−1 and−0.03 mm d−1 yr−1,while the decreasing trends in modeled EPET are less than−0.01 mm d−1 yr−1.Inter comparisons among different models in different river basins suggest that PETHam1 is the best model in the Pearl River basin,PETHam2 outperforms other models in the Huaihe River,Yangtze River and Yellow River basins,and PETFAO is the best model for the remaining basins.Sensitivity analyses reveal that wind speed and sunshine duration are two important factors for decreasing EPET in most basins except in Southeast and Southwest China.The increasing EPET trend in Southeast China is mainly attributed to the reduced relative humidity.

SimET: An open-source tool for estimating crop evapotranspiration and soil water balance for plants with multiple growth cycles

Accurate estimation of crop evapotranspiration(ETc) and soil water balance, which is vital for optimizing water management strategy in crop production, can be performed by simulation. But existing software has many deficiencies, including complex operation, limited scalability, lack of batch processing, and a single ETc model. Here we present simET, an open-source software package written in the R programming language. Many concepts involved in crop ETc simulation are condensed into functions in the package. It includes three widely used crop ETc models built on these functions: the single-crop coefficient,double-crop coefficient, and Shuttleworth–Wallace models, along with tools for preparing model data and comparing estimates. SimET supports ETc simulation in crops with repeated growth cycles such as alfalfa, a perennial forage crop that is cut multiple times annually.

Agricultural Load Modeling Based on Crop Evapotranspiration and Light Integration for Economic Operation of Greenhouse Power Systems

The threat of environmental degradation attracts great attention to clean energy production and transportation.However,the limited scope of energy consumption causes the large-scale of clean energy sources to be abandoned in Sichuan province.In the meantime,the development of modern greenhouse cultivation has transformed the agriculture industry to develop a brand-new type of electrical load in the grid.Consequently,the agricultural load can be used to consume the clean energy while facilitating plant growth.In this paper,an innovative agricultural load model is proposed based on crop evapotranspiration and daily light integration.Furthermore,the proposed agricultural load model is also applied to investigate the electricity consumption of five types of crop planting.The results illustrate that the power consumption is primarily driven by an artificial lighting compensation system.

Overview of modelling techniques for greenhouse microclimate environment and evapotranspiration

Domestication of plants by man through greenhouse crop production has revolutionized agricultural farming systems worldwide.Selecting the appropriate greenhouse technology together with the user-friendly evapotranspiration(ETc)model can optimize crop water use.The greenhouse microclimate environment has nearly zero wind speed and low radiation,hence low transpiration due to high temperature and humidity.Therefore,matching the greenhouse microclimate with the appropriate ETc model will certainly optimize crop water use efficiency since water is becoming a scarce resource globally,more so in the greenhouse environment.This is one of the main reasons why the gap between the dissemination of various advanced ETc models and the application by the greenhouse crop producers’community needs to be bridged.The likelihood or chances of rapidly disseminating and adopting advances in ETc estimating technology by a larger greenhouse crop producers community will increase if greenhouse ETc models become more user-friendly and available.The contribution of the greenhouse system to increased and sustainable food production must come through improved disseminating,adopting and use of existing greenhouse ETc models.FAO recommends a standard approach for the determination of crop water requirements utilizing the product of reference evapotranspiration(ET0)and crop coefficient(Kc)values.The FAO approach can also be used in greenhouse cultivation systems.However,studies connecting greenhouse technologies and methodologies for measuring ET0 or ETc in greenhouses are not available.There are also few studies undertaken that compared the performance of ET0 or ETc models under different categories of greenhouse conditions.In this review,a link between greenhouse technology and ET0 model or ETc model,and how existing knowledge and methodologies in ET0 or ETc measurements can actually enhance the sustainability of greenhouse farming have been highlighted.The categories of greenhouses,equipment commonly used,and the data collected for ET0 and ETc measurements have been established in the article.This review aimed to evaluate and summarize ET0 and ETc models currently available and being used in the various greenhouse categories.The accuracy assessment levels of the ET0 models about the category of the greenhouse microclimate environment were carried out.

An improved ET control method to determine the water-saving potential for farmland in Baiyangdian Watershed, China

Resource-based water-saving potential has been recognized as the reduction of evapotranspiration and water loss of inefficient irrigation systems. In this paper, an improved evapotranspiration control model is applied to calculate resource-based water-saving potential, considering the influences of effective rainfall （uncontrolled evapotranspiration） and irrigated water （controlled evapotranspiration）. Farmland in Baiyangdian Watershed, a highly productive area in northern China, is analyzed to determine the water-saving potential of irrigation processes. The water-saving potential was zero, 163.90 × 10^6m3, and 318.24 × 10^6m3 in wet, normal, and dry years, respectively, and was greater in years with less rainfall. Under the combined effect of rainfall, crop water consumption, and crop water requirements, the water-saving potential showed obvious temporal and spatial variations. July and August comprised almost 98.6% of the annual potential. In the northeast and southwest corner of the study area, potential approached zero. The potential was 1.53 times greater in the north-central than in the south-central area. The model can furnish the appropriate timing and region to water managers for implementing water-saving strategies.