An Application of Metric to Estimate Evapotraspiration of Red Pepper Under Four Different Irrigation Levels.

In this study, the energy balance considerations was applied to estimate evapotranspiration (ET) of red pepper by using field level remotely sensed data under water stress conditions in the semi-humid Bafra Plains located in northern Turkey. Field experiments conducted for this purpose consists of red pepper under four different irrigation levels from rainfed (no-rrigation) to full irrigation. Spectral reflectance, surface temperature and net radiation measurements on each experimental plot and dry bare soil surface were made using hand-held devices. Soil water status was monitored with a well calibrated neutron probe. ET of each irrigation treatment was calculated based on both soil water budget and energy balance. During the calculation of sensible heat flux and conversion of instantaneous ET to daily ET approximations of METRIC were applied. Statistical comparisons between measured and estimated ET with METRIC and soil budget based methods showed statistically significant agreement. However, ET values estimated through energy balance were relatively higher than that derived from soil water budget method.