Monitoring Surface Energy Flux Dynamics of Irrigated Maize Using a Large Aperture Scintillometer in a Semi-Arid Region

Abstract

Water, a crucial input in agricultural production, is distributed based on geographical and topographical patterns. However, anthropogenic climate change has intensified water scarcity in semi-arid regions. This research aims to precisely estimate crop evapotranspiration (ET) and examine the diurnal and seasonal patterns of surface energy fluxes in maize (Zea mays) crops cultivated in a semi-arid region. The precision of our methodology is underscored by the use of a large-aperture scintillometer (LAS), which measured surface energy fluxes at 5-min intervals over two crop-growing seasons. The results, a testament to the accuracy of the LAS, indicated that during the rainy (Kharif) season of 2015–2016, the seasonal sensible heat flux (H) and latent heat flux (LE) values were 185.91 and 242.14 mm, respectively. In the rainy (Kharif) season of 2017–2018, these values were 151.57 mm for H and 373.63 mm for LE. LE values ranged from 0.40 to 6.83 MJ m⁻² day⁻¹ throughout the growing season. The findings, which highlight the LAS's ability to accurately estimate surface energy fluxes, provide a deeper understanding of their interactions with microclimatic factors, such as weather, soil, and crop management. These insights, with their significant implications for ecophysiological studies and improving agricultural practices in semi-arid regions, underscore the importance of our research.