ET‐based irrigation scheduling of lettuce, broccoli, (…and other cool season vegetables)(…and other cool season vegetables)

Investigators:Investigators:CSUMB/NASA

UC Coop. ExtensionUSDA‐ARSUSDA ARS

Comm’l cooperators:Chiquita/Fresh Express

i & A lTanimura & AntleSakata, Enza, Seminis

Sponsor:pCalif. Dept. Food Agric.

(Specialty Crop Block Grant Pgm)

Presenter:  Lee Johnson, CSUMB/NASA; 650‐604‐3331

Improving irrigation efficiencyImproving irrigation efficiency

• Agronomic (conservation till, plant spacing…)Agronomic (conservation till, plant spacing…)• Engineering (reduce applic. loss, improve DU…)• Institutional (irrigation district improvements• Institutional (irrigation district improvements, water pricing, legal incentives…)

• Managerial (demand‐based scheduling RDI )• Managerial (demand‐based scheduling, RDI…)

From: Howell, T., Agron. J. 93:281‐289 (2001)

Some definitionsSome definitions

• Evapotranspiration [ET]; water consumedEvapotranspiration [ET]; water consumed (lost to atmosphere) by combined processes of soil Evaporation & plant Transpirationof soil Evaporation & plant Transpiration

• Reference ET; well‐watered grass surface ETC ffi i ET d• Crop coefficient; crop ET expressed as a proportion of reference ET

• Fractional cover; proportion of field covered by crop (vs. bare soil) as viewed from above

Project goalsProject goals

• Replicated irrigation trials for head lettuce & broccoliReplicated irrigation trials for head lettuce & broccoli during 2012, 2013

• Demo use of ET‐based irrigation scheduling, using g g, gCIMIS Reference ET data

• Evaluate any tradeoffs of water reduction vs. yield/ y yquality

CIMIS Reference ET“Salinas‐south” (#214)

0.35 Reference ET (ETo)

Salinas south  (#214)

0.150.20.250.3

hes/day

Reference ET (ETo)

lettuceTrial:

00.050.1

16‐Apr 25‐Jul 2‐Novinch broccoli“Spatial” CIMIS

16 Apr 25 Jul 2 Nov2012

*Challenge:  how to translate into “actionable” info?

StrategyStrategy

b l• Lettuce, broccoli• Crop establishment by sprinkler• Treatments applied by surface drip• Equal inputs other than water (ie fertilizerEqual inputs other than water (ie, fertilizer, pest control, etc.)

Drip irrigation controller Data logger

Irrigation treatmentsIrrigation treatments

CropManage model (100% ET replacement)

SIMS model (100% ET replacement)

St d d ti (150% ET l t)Standard practice (150% ET replacement)

CropManage model

*UC Cooperative Extension*web‐based tool for growers*combines weather, soil and plant‐b d fbased info

SIMS model

Landsat image of 

SatelliteLandsat OLI/TM/ETM+MODIS MOD09Q1TOMS/TOVS ozone

NASA/CSUMB

gSalinas vicinity;¼ acre resolution

SIMSA di

NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis Data

CIMISSatellite SurfaceGOES cloud         Tair, RH, cover   Wind speed  

Spatial CIMIS ET0

At sensor radianceLEDAPS

Surface reflectanceNDVITiling / MaskingGap‐fillingFractional cover Spatial CIMIS ET0  

(OPeNDAP)

Fractional coverCrop coefficient (Kcb)

Basal crop ET (ETcb)

Web interfaceWeb services

User

Process flow crop configuration,days since planting

In‐situ or remote sensing meas.

Fractional coverRain, 

Fractional cover CM

SIMS

past irrig.

CM

Crop coefficientCIMIS 

Crop coefficientdaily

Crop ET

ETo

Crop ET

ET since last irrigation ET since last irrigation

assumed DU 

Irrig. amt Irrig. amt

MonitoringMonitoring

NutrientSoil moisture

Fractional cover

Drainage sub‐surfaceApplied water

Lettuce trialsMay 2 – July 11, 2012A il 30 J l 8 2013April 30 – July 8, 2013

Treatments:

Standard practice

SIMS

CropManagep g

*3 tmts, 5 reps, randomized block design*total area:  ~1.4 ac 

/*40” bed spacing, 2 seedlines/bed, thinned to 12” interval*variety: Gabilan (2012), Telluride (2013)

Drip irrigation eventsDrip irrigation events2

2.5

es) 2012

00.51

1.5

Irrig. (inch

std.

SIMS

CM0

29‐M

ay

4‐Jun

8‐Jun

12‐Jun

17‐Jun

20‐Jun

25‐Jun

29‐Jun

3‐Jul

6‐Jul

2.5 2013

0 51

1.52

rrig. (inches) 2013

std.

SIMS

00.5

29‐M

ay

3‐Jun

7‐Jun

11‐Jun

14‐Jun

17‐Jun

20‐Jun

24‐Jun

28‐Jun

1‐Jul

2‐Jul

3‐Jul

Ir

CM

Cumulative dripCumulative drip12

)

2012

4

8

mul. irrig (in.)

std.

SIMS

CM0

29‐M

ay

4‐Jun

8‐Jun

12‐Jun

17‐Jun

20‐Jun

25‐Jun

29‐Jun

3‐Jul

6‐JulCu

CM

4

8

12

 irrig

(in.)

2013

std.

SIMS

0

4

9‐May

3‐Jun

7‐Jun

11‐Jun

14‐Jun

17‐Jun

20‐Jun

24‐Jun

28‐Jun

1‐Jul

2‐Jul

3‐JulCu

mul. SIMS

CM

29 1 1 1 2 2 2

Irrigation & yield totals, Lettuce

15

20

(in.)

15

20

(in.)

2012 2013

(drip + spklr)                                                                    (drip + spklr)

0

5

10

Irrigation 

0

5

10

Irrigation 

)

0Std SIMS CM

)

0Std SIMS CM

a a,b b a a a

10

20

ld (ton

s/ac

10

20

ld (ton

s/ac

a             a,b b                                         a             a a

0Std SIMS CM

Yiel

0Std SIMS CM

Yiel

Water savings:  29% Water savings:  23%

Quality metrics

• TransportR f i ti• Refrigeration

• Packaging• Storage• Storage• Evaluation:

Flavor physiological defects decay pinking– Flavor, physiological defects, decay, pinking, vascular discoloration, browning, tip burn, chunks

–No significant difference between the standard & reduced water treatments

Courtesy Fresh Express

Broccoli trialsJuly 25‐Oct 29, 2012July 23 – Nov 4, 2013

Treatments:

Standard practice

SIMS

CropManage

Treatments:

CropManage

*3 tmts, 5 reps, randomized block design*total area:  ~1.4 ac*40” bed spacing 2 seedlines/bed 5” interval*40  bed spacing, 2 seedlines/bed, 5  interval*variety: Patron

Drip irrigation eventsDrip irrigation events

1

1.5

in.)

2012

0

0.5

1

Irrigation (i

std.

SIMS

CM0

24‐Aug

28‐Aug

31‐Aug

4‐Sep

7‐Sep

11‐Sep

14‐Sep

18‐Sep

21‐Sep

24‐Sep

28‐Sep

1‐Oct

4‐Oct

7‐Oct

10‐Oct

12‐Oct

16‐Oct

19‐Oct

23‐Oct

26‐Oct

1‐Nov

1.5 2013

0.5

1

rigation (in

.)

2013

std.

SIMS

0

23‐Aug

28‐Aug

31‐Aug

4‐Sep

7‐Sep

11‐Sep

14‐Sep

18‐Sep

21‐Sep

24‐Sep

28‐Sep

1‐Oct

4‐Oct

7‐Oct

10‐Oct

12‐Oct

16‐Oct

19‐Oct

23‐Oct

26‐Oct

1‐Nov

Ir r CM

Cumulative dripCumulative drip

16

20

)

2012

4

8

12

16

mul. irrig (in.)

std.

SIMS

CM0

24‐Aug

28‐Aug

31‐Aug

4‐Sep

7‐Sep

11‐Sep

14‐Sep

18‐Sep

21‐Sep

24‐Sep

28‐Sep

1‐Oct

4‐Oct

7‐Oct

10‐Oct

12‐Oct

16‐Oct

19‐Oct

23‐Oct

26‐Oct

1‐Nov

Cu

CM

8

12

16

20

 irrig

 (in.)

2013

std.

SIMS

0

4

3‐Au

g

8‐Au

g

1‐Au

g

4‐Sep

7‐Sep

1‐Sep

4‐Sep

8‐Sep

1‐Sep

4‐Sep

8‐Sep

1‐Oct

4‐Oct

7‐Oct

0‐Oct

2‐Oct

6‐Oct

9‐Oct

3‐Oct

6‐Oct

1‐Nov

Cumul. SIMS

CM

23 28 31 4 7 11 14 18 21 24 28 1 4 7 10 12 16 19 23 26 1

Irrigation & yield totals, Broccoli

2012 2013

20in.)

20n.)(drip + spklr)                                                                        (drip + spklr)

10

Irrigation (i

10

20

rrigation (in

0Std SIMS CM

I

0Std SIMS CM

Ir

10 10a            a,b b                                         a              a a

46810

(ton

s/ac)

46810

(ton

s/ac)

02

Std SIMS CM

Yield 

02

Std SIMS CM

Yield 

Water savings:  30% Water savings:  34%

Summary

• ET‐based scheduling; replicated trial d d 2conducted over 2 years

• Industry‐average marketable yields realized throughout

• ET‐replacement approaches represented 23‐p pp p34% reduction in applied water

closing note about fractional coverfractional cover…

measured Fractional coverRain, 

Fractional cover modeled

SIMS

past irrig.

CM

Crop coefficientCIMIS 

Crop coefficientdaily

Crop ET

ETo

Crop ET

ET since last irrigation ET since last irrigation

assumed DU 

Irrig. amt Irrig. amt

Satellite NDVI via SIMS

Individual fields are clearly visible at 30m resolution

SIMS Fractional coverSIMS Fractional cover

Broccoli growth,  Crop Developmentground vs. satellite2013 60%

80%

100%

al cover

Crop Development

0%

20%

40%

0 50 100

Fractio

n satellite

ground

Salinas

0 50 100Days after planting

7/3‐10/9

~6 mi 7/23‐10/23

(satellite)

(ground)(ground)

Ongoing/future work

• CropManage:  Cooperative Extension expanding to other cool‐season veg’s

• SIMS: Finalization of Salinas Valley datasets,SIMS:  Finalization of Salinas Valley datasets, processing stream, data delivery

• Linking CropManage SIMS• Linking CropManage, SIMS

Investigators

CSUMB: L. Johnson, F. Melton, K. Post, C. Lund, G. Miller, D. Hamblin,    S. Phillips, C. Rosevelt, S. Kefauver, A. Purdy, W. Brandt, I. Harlen

C i E i M C h B F T L kh L M hCooperative Extension:  M. Cahn, B. Farrara, T. Lockhart, L. MurphyUSDA:  F. Martin, S. Benzen, D. Lara, G. Ochoa, J. Schrandt, W. Orth

Harvest supportTanimura & Antle: D. Barsoom, S. Rossi, J. Ruiz, C. Baker

Acknowledgments

Tanimura & Antle: D. Barsoom, S. Rossi, J. Ruiz, C. BakerFreshExpress:  S. Klose

Seeds donated by Sakata, Enza, & Seminisy

Sponsors:  California Dept. Food & Agric. #SCB11016, additional support from NASA's Applied Sciences Program