Reanalysis data are being increasingly used as gridded weather data sources for assessing crop-reference evapotranspiration (ET0) in irrigation water-budget analyses at regional scales. This study ...assesses the performances of ET0 estimates based on weather data, respectively produced by two high-resolution reanalysis datasets: UERRA MESCAN-SURFEX (UMS) and ERA5-Land (E5L). The study is conducted in Campania Region (Southern Italy), with reference to the irrigation seasons (April–September) of years 2008–2018. Temperature, wind speed, vapor pressure deficit, solar radiation and ET0 derived from reanalysis datasets, were compared with the corresponding estimates obtained by spatially interpolating data observed by a network of 18 automatic weather stations (AWSs). Statistical performances of the spatial interpolations were evaluated with a cross-validation procedure, by recursively applying universal kriging or ordinary kriging to the observed weather data. ERA5-Land outperformed UMS both in weather data and ET0 estimates. Averaging over all 18 AWSs sites in the region, the normalized BIAS (nBIAS) was found less than 5% for all the databases. The normalized RMSE (nRMSE) for ET0 computed with E5L data was 17%, while it was 22% with UMS data. Both performances were not far from those obtained by kriging interpolation, which presented an average nRMSE of 14%. Overall, this study confirms that reanalysis can successfully surrogate the unavailability of observed weather data for the regional assessment of ET0.
This Special Issue is focused on recent advances in integrated monitoring and modelling technologies for agriculture and forestry. The selected contributions cover a wide range of topics, including ...wireless field sensing systems, satellite and UAV remote sensing, ICT and IoT applications for smart farming.
Estimating the main hydrodynamic features of real vegetated water bodies is crucial to assure a balance between their hydraulic conveyance and environmental quality. Riparian vegetation stands have a ...high impact on vegetated channels. The present work has the aim to integrate riparian vegetation’s reflectance indices and hydrodynamics of real vegetated water flows to assess the impact of riparian vegetation morphometry on bulk drag coefficients distribution along an abandoned vegetated drainage channel fully covered by 9–10 m high Arundo donax (commonly known as giant reed) stands, starting from flow average velocities measurements at 30 cross-sections identified along the channel. A map of riparian vegetation cover was obtained through digital processing of Unnamed Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-acquired multispectral images, which represent a fast way to observe riparian plants’ traits in hardly accessible areas such as vegetated water bodies in natural conditions. In this study, the portion of riparian plants effectively interacting with flow was expressed in terms of ground-based Leaf Area Index measurements (LAI), which easily related to UAV-based Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The comparative analysis between Arundo donax stands NDVI and LAI map enabled the analysis of the impact of UAV-acquired multispectral imagery on bulk drag predictions along the vegetated drainage channel.
Ecosystem invasion by non-native, nitrogen-fixing species is a global phenomenon with serious ecological consequences. However, in the Mediterranean basin few studies addressed the impact of invasion ...by nitrogen-fixing shrubs on soil quality and hydrological properties at local scale, and the possible effects on succession dynamics and ecosystem invasibility by further species. In this multidisciplinary study we investigated the impact of Genista aetnensis (Biv.) DC., an exotic nitrogen-fixing shrub, on the Vesuvius Grand Cone (Southern Italy). Specifically, we tested the hypotheses that the invasion of G. aetnensis has a significant impact on soil quality, soil hydrological regime, local microclimate and plant community structure, and that its impact increases during the plant ontogenetic cycle. We showed that G. aetnensis, in a relatively short time-span (i.e. ~ 40 years), has been able to build-up an island of fertility under its canopy, by accumulating considerable stocks of C, N, and P in the soil, and by also improving the soil hydrological properties. Moreover, G. aetnensis mitigates the daily range of soil temperature, reducing the exposure of coexisting plants to extremely high temperatures and water loss by soil evaporation, particularly during the growing season. Such amelioration of soil quality, coupled with the mitigation of below-canopy microclimatic conditions, has enhanced plant colonization of the barren Grand Cone slopes, by both herbaceous and woody species. These results suggest that the invasion of G. aetnensis could eventually drive to the spread of other, more resource-demanding exotic species, promoting alternative successional trajectories that may dramatically affect the local landscape. Our study is the first record of the invasion of G. aetnensis, an additional example of the regime shifts driven by N-fixing shrubs in Mediterranean region. Further studies are needed to identity specific management practices that can limit the spread and impacts of this species.
Proximal sensors in controlled environment agriculture (CEA) are used to monitor plant growth, yield, and water consumption with non-destructive technologies. Rapid and continuous monitoring of ...environmental and crop parameters may be used to develop mathematical models to predict crop response to microclimatic changes. Here, we applied the energy cascade model (MEC) on green- and red-leaf butterhead lettuce (
L. var.
). We tooled up the model to describe the changing leaf functional efficiency during the growing period. We validated the model on an independent dataset with two different vapor pressure deficit (VPD) levels, corresponding to nominal (low VPD) and off-nominal (high VPD) conditions. Under low VPD, the modified model accurately predicted the transpiration rate (RMSE = 0.10 Lm
), edible biomass (RMSE = 6.87 g m
), net-photosynthesis (rBIAS = 34%), and stomatal conductance (rBIAS = 39%). Under high VPD, the model overestimated photosynthesis and stomatal conductance (rBIAS = 76-68%). This inconsistency is likely due to the empirical nature of the original model, which was designed for nominal conditions. Here, applications of the modified model are discussed, and possible improvements are suggested based on plant morpho-physiological changes occurring in sub-optimal scenarios.
The widespread development of Earth Observation (EO) systems and advances in numerical atmospheric modeling have made it possible to use the newest data sources as input for crop–water balance ...models, thereby improving the crop water requirements (CWR) and yield estimates from the field to the regional scale. Satellite imagery and numerical weather prediction outputs offer high resolution (in time and space) gridded data that can compensate for the paucity of crop parameter field measurements and ground weather observations, as required for assessments of CWR and yield. In this study, the AquaCrop model was used to assess CWR and yield of tomato on a farm in Southern Italy by assimilating Sentinel-2 (S2) canopy cover imagery and using CM-SAF satellite-based radiation data and ERA5-Land reanalysis as forcing weather data. The prediction accuracy was evaluated with field data collected during the irrigation season (April–July) of 2021. Satellite estimates of canopy cover differed from ground observations, with a RMSE of about 11%. CWR and yield predictions were compared with actual data regarding irrigation volumes and harvested yield. The results showed that S2 estimates of crop parameters represent added value, since their assimilation into crop growth models improved CWR and yield estimates. Reliable CWR and yield estimates can be achieved by combining the ERA5-Land and CM-SAF weather databases with S2 imagery for assimilation into the AquaCrop model.
Water use efficiency in agriculture can be improved by implementing advisory systems that support on-farm irrigation scheduling, with reliable forecasts of the actual crop water requirements, where ...crop evapotranspiration (ET
) is the main component. The development of such advisory systems is highly dependent upon the availability of timely updated crop canopy parameters and weather forecasts several days in advance, at low operational costs. This study presents a methodology for forecasting ET
, based on crop parameters retrieved from multispectral images, data from ground weather sensors, and air temperature forecasts. Crop multispectral images are freely provided by recent satellite missions, with high spatial and temporal resolutions. Meteorological services broadcast air temperature forecasts with lead times of several days, at no subscription costs, and with high accuracy. The performance of the proposed methodology was applied at 18 sites of the Campania region in Italy, by exploiting the data of intensive field campaigns in the years 2014-2015. ET
measurements were forecast with a median bias of 0.2 mm, and a median root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.75 mm at the first day of forecast. At the 5
day of accumulated forecast, the median bias and RMSE become 1 mm and 2.75 mm, respectively. The forecast performances were proved to be as accurate and as precise as those provided with a complete set of forecasted weather variables.
The assessment of rainfall extremes at sub-hourly scales is generally hindered by a lack of rainfall data at small timescale resolutions. This study proposes a methodology for assessing mean annual ...maximum rainfall at the sub-hourly scale by blending historical time series of annual maxima recorded by mechanical stations (operating at hourly scales) up to the end of the past century with newer time series of annual maxima at higher time resolutions recorded by automatic stations installed over the past twenty years. A linear correlation was found at the regional scale between the shape parameter controlling the dependency of rainfall maxima with a duration longer than one hour and the shape parameter of the dependency of rainfall maxima with the durations shorter than one hour. Thanks to this correlation, data recorded at the mechanical stations could be exploited to assess sub-hourly mean annual maxima. The proposed hybrid procedure was verified and was found to provide estimates with an accuracy close to those obtained with the high-resolution data, i.e., our best estimates. Moreover, the proposed procedure outperforms what could be achieved by spatially interpolating the best estimates at those locations where only hourly data are available.
This study presents a methodology for improving the efficiency of Baptist and Stone and Shen models in predicting the global water flow resistance of a reclamation channel partly vegetated by rigid ...and emergent riparian plants. The results of the two resistance models are compared with the measurements collected during an experimental campaign conducted in a reclamation channel colonized by Common reed (Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud.). Experimental vegetative Chézy’s flow resistance coefficients have been retrieved from the analysis of instantaneous flow velocity measurements, acquired by means of a downlooking 3-component acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV) located at the channel upstream cross section, and by water level measurements obtained through four piezometers distributed along the reclamation channel. The main morphometrical vegetation features (i.e., stem diameters and heights, and bed surface density) have been measured at six cross sections of the vegetated reclamation channel. Following the theoretical assumptions of the divided channel method (DCM), three sub-sections have been delineated in the reference cross section to represent the impact of the partial vegetation cover on the cross sectional variability of the flow field, as observed with the ADV measurements. The global vegetative Chézy’s flow resistance coefficients have been then computed by combining each resistance model with four different composite cross section methods, respectively suggested by Colebatch, Horton, Pavlovskii, and Yen. The comparative analysis between the modeled and the experimental vegetative Chézy’s coefficients has been performed by computing the relative prediction error (εr, expressed in %) under two flow rate regimes. Stone and Shen model combined with the Horton composite cross section method provides vegetative Chézy’s coefficients with the lowest εr.
Flood hazard mitigation in urban areas crossed by vegetated flows can be achieved through two distinct approaches, based on structural and eco-friendly solutions, referred to as grey and green–blue ...engineering scenarios, respectively; this one is often based on best management practices (BMP) and low-impact developments (LID). In this study, the hydraulic efficiency of two green–blue scenarios in reducing flood hazards of an urban area crossed by a vegetated river located in Central Tuscany (Italy), named Morra Creek, were evaluated for a return period of 200 years, by analyzing the flooding outcomes of 1D and 2D unsteady hydraulic simulations. In the first scenario, the impact of a diffuse effect of flood peak reduction along Morra Creek was assessed by considering an overall real-scale growth of common reed beds. In the second scenario, riverine vegetation along Morra Creek was preserved, while flood hazard was mitigated using a single vegetated flood control area. This study demonstrates well the benefits of employing green–blue solutions for reducing flood hazards in vegetated rivers intersecting agro-forestry and urban areas while preserving their riverine ecosystems. It emerged that the first scenario is a valuable alternative to the more impacting second scenario, given the presence of flood control areas.
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