Analysis of irrigation system performance based on an integrated approach with Sentinel-2 satellite images

The improvement of performance of irrigation systems plays a fundamental role in increasing their efficiency in order to reach a sound use of irrigation water. The COPAM (Combined Optimization and Performance Analysis Model) has proven its usefulness in performance evaluation of on-demand irrigation...

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Main Authors: Meriem Er-Rami, Guido D'Urso, Nicola Lamaddalena, Daniela D'Agostino, Oscar Rosario Belfiore
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: PAGEPress Publications 2021-06-01
Series:Journal of Agricultural Engineering
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.j.agroengineering.org/index.php/jae/article/view/1170
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author Meriem Er-Rami
Guido D'Urso
Nicola Lamaddalena
Daniela D'Agostino
Oscar Rosario Belfiore
author_facet Meriem Er-Rami
Guido D'Urso
Nicola Lamaddalena
Daniela D'Agostino
Oscar Rosario Belfiore
author_sort Meriem Er-Rami
collection DOAJ
description The improvement of performance of irrigation systems plays a fundamental role in increasing their efficiency in order to reach a sound use of irrigation water. The COPAM (Combined Optimization and Performance Analysis Model) has proven its usefulness in performance evaluation of on-demand irrigation systems; however, in many cases, input data, such as water volumes delivered by hydrants, is not readily available. To support a wider application of the COPAM, we tested the possibility of using irrigation volumes estimated by means of space-borne remote sensing. The Sentinel-2 (S2) constellation provides high spatial resolution images with a frequency between 2 and 5 days, which is compatible with COPAM input requirements. In the present work, an irrigation sector in the Capitanata irrigation network (Foggia Province, no. 6 of District 10) in Italy was chosen to assess its performance by using COPAM with volumes estimated from Sentinel-2 data. As an input of COPAM, the upstream discharge was determined after a proper transformation of the estimated irrigation water requirement volumes and the recorded volumes into flowrates. The estimation of the irrigation water requirement volumes was accomplished through the estimation of crop evapotranspiration, Etcrop, and effective precipitation, Pn, by combining crop parameters (leaf area index - LAI, fractional vegetation cover - fc, and Albedo) derived from S2 images and the meteorological data from the ERA5 single levels reanalysis dataset collected for the whole study period, from June 1st to September 30th, 2019. The study comprised a comparison of the estimated irrigation water volumes and the corresponding recorded volumes. The results showed a good agreement between the estimated and the registered volumes in a large time scale for 10 days and a one-month period, while a large difference was observed in a daily time scale. The performance analysis was carried out for the overall system and at hydrant level. The estimated discharge was lower than the registered discharge, indicating better performance. Last but not least, some recommendations were proposed for improving performance in critical zones.
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spelling doaj.art-eaa7e9ccbb3e4c4dbb9b3bb72c40b15d2022-12-21T20:19:54ZengPAGEPress PublicationsJournal of Agricultural Engineering1974-70712239-62682021-06-0152210.4081/jae.2021.1170Analysis of irrigation system performance based on an integrated approach with Sentinel-2 satellite imagesMeriem Er-Rami0Guido D'Urso1Nicola Lamaddalena2Daniela D'Agostino3Oscar Rosario Belfiore4Department of Land and Water Resources Management, CIHEAM-Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, Valenzano (BA)Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Portici (NA)Department of Land and Water Resources Management, CIHEAM-Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, Valenzano (BA)Department of Land and Water Resources Management, CIHEAM-Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, Valenzano (BA)Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Portici (NA)The improvement of performance of irrigation systems plays a fundamental role in increasing their efficiency in order to reach a sound use of irrigation water. The COPAM (Combined Optimization and Performance Analysis Model) has proven its usefulness in performance evaluation of on-demand irrigation systems; however, in many cases, input data, such as water volumes delivered by hydrants, is not readily available. To support a wider application of the COPAM, we tested the possibility of using irrigation volumes estimated by means of space-borne remote sensing. The Sentinel-2 (S2) constellation provides high spatial resolution images with a frequency between 2 and 5 days, which is compatible with COPAM input requirements. In the present work, an irrigation sector in the Capitanata irrigation network (Foggia Province, no. 6 of District 10) in Italy was chosen to assess its performance by using COPAM with volumes estimated from Sentinel-2 data. As an input of COPAM, the upstream discharge was determined after a proper transformation of the estimated irrigation water requirement volumes and the recorded volumes into flowrates. The estimation of the irrigation water requirement volumes was accomplished through the estimation of crop evapotranspiration, Etcrop, and effective precipitation, Pn, by combining crop parameters (leaf area index - LAI, fractional vegetation cover - fc, and Albedo) derived from S2 images and the meteorological data from the ERA5 single levels reanalysis dataset collected for the whole study period, from June 1st to September 30th, 2019. The study comprised a comparison of the estimated irrigation water volumes and the corresponding recorded volumes. The results showed a good agreement between the estimated and the registered volumes in a large time scale for 10 days and a one-month period, while a large difference was observed in a daily time scale. The performance analysis was carried out for the overall system and at hydrant level. The estimated discharge was lower than the registered discharge, indicating better performance. Last but not least, some recommendations were proposed for improving performance in critical zones.https://www.j.agroengineering.org/index.php/jae/article/view/1170COPAMcrop evapotranspirationirrigation water requirementon-demand irrigation systemperformance analysisSentinel-2 images.
spellingShingle Meriem Er-Rami
Guido D'Urso
Nicola Lamaddalena
Daniela D'Agostino
Oscar Rosario Belfiore
Analysis of irrigation system performance based on an integrated approach with Sentinel-2 satellite images
Journal of Agricultural Engineering
COPAM
crop evapotranspiration
irrigation water requirement
on-demand irrigation system
performance analysis
Sentinel-2 images.
title Analysis of irrigation system performance based on an integrated approach with Sentinel-2 satellite images
title_full Analysis of irrigation system performance based on an integrated approach with Sentinel-2 satellite images
title_fullStr Analysis of irrigation system performance based on an integrated approach with Sentinel-2 satellite images
title_full_unstemmed Analysis of irrigation system performance based on an integrated approach with Sentinel-2 satellite images
title_short Analysis of irrigation system performance based on an integrated approach with Sentinel-2 satellite images
title_sort analysis of irrigation system performance based on an integrated approach with sentinel 2 satellite images
topic COPAM
crop evapotranspiration
irrigation water requirement
on-demand irrigation system
performance analysis
Sentinel-2 images.
url https://www.j.agroengineering.org/index.php/jae/article/view/1170
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AT nicolalamaddalena analysisofirrigationsystemperformancebasedonanintegratedapproachwithsentinel2satelliteimages
AT danieladagostino analysisofirrigationsystemperformancebasedonanintegratedapproachwithsentinel2satelliteimages
AT oscarrosariobelfiore analysisofirrigationsystemperformancebasedonanintegratedapproachwithsentinel2satelliteimages