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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Estimating Maize (Zea mays) cvapotranspiration from NOAA-AVHRR thermal data in the Albacete area, Spain

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Abstract We have estimated evapotranspiration from maize (Zca mays) using NOAA thermal images infrared and meteorological data, by means of the relation where Ed is the daily evapotranspiration, is the daily net radiation expressed in mm of water per day, (Ta−Ts)i is the temperature difference between air and corn surface obtained near midday, and Bi is a semi-empirical constant which has been calculated as 0·53±0·10mm day−1K−1. We have tested the method obtaining actual daily evapotranspiration of maize with an acceptable precision (±0·9 mm day−1 taken Penman's method as the standard). Finally, a practical example is included, in which the different steps followed for applying the developed methodology are described. This method provides for the monitoring of water requirements for maize in irrigated areas and evapotranspiration rates of non-irrigated maize.