Estimation of Crop Evapotranspiration for Rabi crops using Spatial and Ground based Observation: A Case Study of village Akodha, Prayagraj

Abstract

The primary objective of this research is to estimate crop evapotranspiration (ETc) by integrating spatially distributed remote sensing observations with ground-based meteorological data. Grass reference evapotranspiration (ETo) and CROPWAT based evapotranspiration were simulated using satellitederived ET inputs generated through the Surface Energy Balance System (SEBS) model, along with field-measured meteorological parameters collected from six sampling points during the Rabi season. The SEBS-derived ET values were found to be realistic and successfully captured the seasonal variability across the study area. Using Grass-based ETo, the maximum ETo was observed in March (5.73 mm/ day) corresponding to the highest temperature, while the minimum ETo occurred in December (0.47 mm/day) during the lowest temperature period. Similarly, CROPWAT-derived ETo also peaked in March (4.06 mm/day) and reached its minimum in December (1.04 mm/day), consistent with seasonal temperature variations. These results highlight the potential of satellite-based ET estimation in improving spatial and temporal understanding of crop water requirements during the Rabi season.