Energy balance model applied to pasture experimental areas in São Paulo State, Brazil.

The Simple Algorithm for Evapotranspiration Retrieving (SAFER) was used to estimate biophysical parameters and theenergy balance components in two different pasture experimental areas, in the São Paulo state, Brazil. The experimentalpastures consist in six rotational (RGS) and three continuous grazing systems (CGS) paddocks. Landsat-8 images from2013 and 2015 dry and rainy seasons were used, as these presented similar hydrological cycle, with 1,600 mm and 1,613mm of annual precipitation, resulting in 19 cloud-free images. Bands 1 to 7 and thermal bands 10 and 11 were used withweather data from a station located nearthe experimental area. NDVI, biomass, evapotranspiration and latent heat flux(λE) temporal values statistically differ CGS from RGS areas. Grazing systems influences the energy partition and theseresults indicate that RGS benefits biomass production, evapotranspiration and the microclimate, due higher LE values.SAFER is a feasible tool to estimate biophysical parameters and energy balance components in pasture and has potentialto discriminate continuous and rotation grazing systems in a temporal analysis.

Sugarcane Water Productivity Assessments in the São Paulo state, Brazil.

São Paulo state, Brazil, has been highlighted by the sugarcane crop expansion. The actual scenario of climate and land use changes, bring attention for the large-scale water productivity (WP) analyses. MODIS images were used together with gridded weather data for these analyses. A generalized sugarcane growing cycle inside a crop land mask, from September 2011 to October 2012, was considered in the main growing regions of the state. Actual evapotranspiration (ET) is quantified by the SAFER (Simple Algorithm for Evapotranspiration Retrieving) algorithm, the biomass production (BIO) by the RUE (Radiation Use Efficiency) Monteith?s model and WP is considered as the ratio of BIO to ET. During the four generalized sugarcane crop phases, the mean ET values ranged from 0.6 to 4.0 mm day-1; BIO rates were between 20 and 200 kg ha-1 day-1, resulting in WP ranging from 2.8 to 6.0 kg m-3. Soil moisture indicators are applied, indicating benefits from supplementary irrigation during the grand growth phase, wherever there is water availability for this practice. The quantification of the large-scale water variables may subsidize the rational water resources management under the sugarcane expansion and water scarcity scenarios.

Biophysical indicators based on satellite images in an irrigated area at the São Francisco River Basin, Brazil.

The Jaíba Irrigated Perimeter is a large irrigated agriculturearea, located in the region Forest Jaíba between the SãoFrancisco and Verde Grande rivers, in the Brazilian semi-arid region. In 2014, irrigators thisthe region face losses in theinterruption of new plantings in irrigated areas due to water scarcity. The objective ofthis study is combine the modelto estimate the Monteith BIO with the SAFER algorithm in the case of obtaining ET, to analyze the dynamics of naturalvegetation and irrigated crops in water scarcity period. For application of the model are necessary data frommeteorological stations and satellite images. Were used 23satellite images of MODIS withspatial resolution of 250mand temporal 16 days, of 2014 year. For analyze the results,we used central pivots irrigation mask of Minas Geraisstate, Brazil. In areas with irrigated agriculture with central pivot, the mean values of BIO over the year 2014 were88.96 kg.ha-1.d-1. The highest values occurred between April 23 and May 8, with BIO 139 kg.ha-1.d-1. For areas withnatural vegetation, the average BIO was 88.34 kg.ha-1.d-1with lower values in September. Estimates of ET varied withthe lowest values of ET observedin natural vegetation 1,91±1,22 mm.d-1and the highest values in irrigated area isobserved 3,51±0,97 mm.d-1. Results of this study can assist in monitoring of river basins, contributing to themanagement irrigated agriculture, with the trend of scarcity of water resources and increasing conflicts for the wateruse.