Integrating satellite-based evapotranspiration with simulation models for irrigation management at the scheme level

Improvements in irrigation management are urgently needed in regions where water resources for irrigation are being depleted. This paper combines a water balance model with satellite-based remote-sensing estimates of evapotranspiration (ET) to provide accurate irrigation scheduling guidelines for individual fields. The satellite-derived ET was used in the daily soil water balance model to improve accuracy of field-by-field ET demands and subsequent field-scale irrigation schedules. The combination of satellite-based ET with daily soil water balance incorporates the advantages of satellite remote-sensing and daily calculation time steps, namely, high spatial resolution and high temporal resolution. The procedure was applied to Genil–Cabra Irrigation Scheme of Spain, where irrigation water supply is often limited by regional drought. Compared with traditional applications of water balance models (i.e. without the satellite-based ET), the combined procedure provided significant improvements in irrigation schedules for both the average condition and when considering field-to-field variability. A 24% reduction in application of water was estimated for cotton if the improved irrigation schedules were followed. Irrigation efficiency calculated using satellite-based ET and actual applied irrigation water helped to identify specific agricultural fields experiencing problems in water management, as well as to estimate general irrigation efficiencies of the scheme by irrigation and crop type. Estimation of field irrigation efficiency ranged from 0.72 for cotton to 0.90 for sugar beet.