Monitoring Evapotranspiration in an Agricultural Field and Determination of Irrigation Rates and Dates by Automated Mobile Field Agrometeorological Complex

Abstract

An automated mobile field agrometeorological complex was designed and constructed to study the evapotranspiration in agricultural fields and to determine the rates and dates of irrigation. The complex collects, stores, and processes data on meteorological parameters: air temperature and humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind speed, and the temperature and net radiation of land surface. The meteorological characteristics and data on agricultural plants are used to evaluate the evapotranspiration, the rates and dates of irrigation in real-time regime. All measured and calculated parameters are accumulated in an inner database in the complex during the measurement period. The mobility of the complex enables its operation on fields with different crops. Field studies were carried out in 2013–2014 in different climatic zones.