It is crucial to accurately measure the ETc from dominant vegetation surfaces in agricultural land management. Among different methods used to measure the ETc, above ground energy balance method is superior, especially in areas with shallow groundwater. In this project, corn ETc was measured using the near-surface energy balance with EC and BREB systems in a tile drained field. After analyzing the data during the growing season, the measured H with EC and the calculated latent heat flux (LE) using the residual method decreased with increasing the crop ground coverage. The results showed that the residual method was useful for closing the energy balance equation if the data were screened properly and the system was maintained in an acceptable condition. The diurnal analysis of H showed that the H measured by the EC and BREB agreed well with each other in July and August and similar in June and September, which resulted in a better estimation of LE and ETc. The developed Kc values using the EC system with the residual method can be as accurate as the result obtained from the BREB system. Therefore, they can be used for agricultural water management in the Red River Valley.

Peer-Reviewed Journal Papers:

Fidantemiz, Y.F., Jia, X., Daigh, A.L.M, Hatterman-Valenti, H., Steele, D.D., Niaghi, A.R., and Simsek, H. 2019. Effect of watertable depth on soybean water use, growth, and yield parameters. Water, 11(5), 931, doi: 10.3390/w11050931.

Niaghi, A.R., Jia, X., Scherer, T.F., and Steele, D.D. 2019. Measurement of non-irrigated turfgrass evapotranspiration rate in the Red River Valley. Vadose Zone Journal, doi: 10.2136/vzj2018.11.0202.

O’Brien, P.L., Acharya, U., Alghamadi, R., Niaghi, A.R., Sanyal, D., Wirtz, J., Daigh, A.L.M., and DeSutter, T.M. 2018. Hydromulch application to bare soil: soil temperature dynamics and evaporative fluxes. Agricultural and Environmental Letters Abstract-Research Letters, 3(1), doi:10.2134/ael2018.03.0014. source pollution in depression-dominated basins under varying hydroclimatic conditions. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15, 2492, 1-17, doi:10.3390/ijerph15112492.

Conference/Seminar Presentations:

Fidantemiz, Y.F., Jia, X., Daigh, A.L., Hatterman-Valenti, H., Steele, D.D., Niaghi, A.R., Simsek, H. 2018. Effect of different water table levels on soybean water use and growth parameters. ICSAE 2018 5th International Conference on Sustainable Agriculture and Environment, Oct. 8-10, Hammamet, Tunisia.

Fidantemiz, Y.F., Steele, D.D., Jia, X., Tuscherer, S., Niaghi A.R., Simsek, H. (2018). Laboratory performance of three commercial soil moisture sensors. 1st Annual Gamma Sigma Delta, North Dakota State University Chapter Faculty and Student Symposium, April 12, 2018, Fargo, North Dakota.

Posters

Niaghi, A.R., and Jia, X. 2018. Assessing various evapotranspiration measurement methods for crop water management. 1st NDWRRI Special Water Resources Seminar. North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND (Oral Presentation).

Niaghi, A.R., and Jia, X. 2018. Evapotranspiration rate and energy flux comparisons of eddy covariance and Bowen ratio methods in the Red River Valley. ASABE Annual Meeting. July 31, 2018, Detroit, MI.

Niaghi, A.R., Jia, X., Scherer, T.F., and Steele, D.D. 2018. Effect of controlled drainage and subirrigation on corn evapotranspiration. Transforming Drainage Meeting, April 2018, Raleigh, NC.