Improvement of reference crop evapotranspiration estimates using limited data for the Brazilian Cerrado

Evapotranspiration (ET) is a key component of the hydrological cycle. Therefore, adequately estimating it is crucial to improving water resource planning and management.One of the most affordable methods of estimating ET is first to estimate reference crop evapotranspiration (ETo) and later associate it to crop and soil coefficients. The FAO Kc-ETo approach can be used only when ETo is computed with the FAO Penman-Monteith equation. However, low data availability may restict the equations used to estimate ETo. In this study, we assess and calibrate common methods used to estimate ETo under such conditions of limited data availability. Based on the annual calibration, the Makkink (NSE = 0.85) outperformed the Priestley-Taylor (NSE = 0.73), Hargreaves-Samani (NSE = 0.56), and Penman-Monteith temperature approach (NSE = 0.58). The seasonal calibration of parameters showed no significant improvement to the methods assessed (ΔNSE ≤ 0.01), except for the Priestley-Taylor (ΔNSE = 0.06). The performance of temperature-based equations was particularly limited due to the performance of the equation adopted to estimate global solar radiation. Thus, improving the representation of global solar radiation for limited data availability can also play a key role in improving ETo prediction.(AU)

Influence of meteorological variables on dengue incidence in the municipality of Arapiraca, Alagoas, Brazil

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Meteorological influences along with the lack of basic sanitation has contributed to disease outbreaks, resulting in large socio-economic losses, especially in terms of dengue. This study aimed to evaluate the meteorological influences on the monthly incidence of dengue in Arapiraca-AL, Brazil during 2008-2015. METHODS: We used generalized linear models constructed via logistic regression to assess the association between the monthly incidence of dengue (MID) of and 8 meteorological variables [rainfall (R), air temperature (AT), dew point temperature (DPT), relative humidity (RH), pressure surface, wind speed (WS), wind direction (WD), and gust], based on data obtained from DATASUS and meteorological station databases, respectively. The dengue-1 model included R, AT, DPT, and RH and the dengue-2 model included AT, DPT, RH, WS, and WD. A MID >100 (classified as moderate incidence) indicated an abnormal month. RESULTS: Based on the dengue-1 model, variables with the highest odds ratio included R-lag1, DPT-lag1, and AT-lag1 with a 10.1, 18.3, and 26.7 times greater probability of a moderate MID, respectively. Based on the dengue-2 model, variables with the highest odds ratio were AT-lag1 and RH-lag0 indicating an 8.9 and 18.1 times greater probability of a moderate MID, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: AT, DPT, R, RH and WS influenced the occurrence of a moderate MID.

Estimating leaf wetness duration over turfgrass, and in a 'Niagara Rosada' vineyard, in a subtropical environment

Leaf wetness duration (LWD) is a key parameter in agrometeorology because it is related to plant disease occurrence. As LWD is seldomly measured in a standard weather station it must be estimated to run warning systems for schedule chemical disease control. The objective of the present study was to estimate LWD over turfgrass considering different models with data from a standard weather station, and to evaluate the correlation between estimated LWD over turfgrass and LWD measured in a 'Niagara Rosada' vineyard, cultivated in a hedgerow training system, in Jundiaí, São Paulo State, Brazil. The wetness sensors inside the vineyard were located at the top of the plants, deployed at an inclination angle of 45º and oriented southwest, with three replications. The methods used to estimate LWD were: number of hours with relative humidity above 90% (NHRH > 90%), dew point depression (DPD), classification and regression tree (CART) and Penman-Monteith (PM). The CART model had the best performance to estimate LWD over turfgrass, with a good precision (R² = 0.82) and a high accuracy (d = 0.94), resulting in a good confidence index (c = 0.85). The results from this model also presented a good correlation with measured LWD inside the vineyard, with a good precision (R² = 0.87) and a high accuracy (d = 0.96), resulting in a high confidence index (c = 0.93), showing that LWD in a 'Niagara Rosada' vineyard can be estimated with data from a standard weather station.

A duração do período de molhamento (DPM) é uma variável agrometeorológica chave para a ocorrência de doenças de plantas. Como a DPM é raramente medida nas estações meteorológicas, ela deve ser estimada quando se pretende empregar sistemas de alerta de controle químico. Desse modo, o objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar a estimativa da DPM sobre gramado por diferentes modelos a partir de dados meteorológicos obtidos em uma estação meteorológica padrão e verificar as relações entre a DPM estimada para o gramado e a medida em um vinhedo de 'Niagara Rosada', conduzido em espaldeira, em Jundiaí, SP, Brasil. Os sensores de molhamento no vinhedo foram instalados no topo das plantas com um ângulo de inclinação de 45º e com a face superior do sensor voltada para sudoeste, com três repetições. Os quatro modelos de estimativa da DPM foram: número de horas com umidade relativa do ar acima de 90% (NHUR > 90%), depressão do ponto de orvalho (DPO), árvore de classificação e regressão (CART) e o de Penman-Monteith (PM). O modelo CART estimou melhor a DPM no gramado, apresentando uma boa precisão (R² = 0,82) e uma ótima exatidão (d = 0,94), resultando num bom índice de confiabilidade (c = 0,85). Esta estimativa também apresentou uma boa correlação com a DPM medida no interior do vinhedo, com uma precisão razoável (R² = 0,87) e uma ótima exatidão (d = 0,96), resultando num ótimo índice de confiabilidade (c = 0,93), o que permite concluir que é possível estimar a DPM no vinhedo de 'Niagara Rosada' por meio de dados medidos ou estimados na estação meteorológica padrão.

Estimating leaf wetness duration over turfgrass, and in a 'Niagara Rosada' vineyard, in a subtropical environment

Leaf wetness duration (LWD) is a key parameter in agrometeorology because it is related to plant disease occurrence. As LWD is seldomly measured in a standard weather station it must be estimated to run warning systems for schedule chemical disease control. The objective of the present study was to estimate LWD over turfgrass considering different models with data from a standard weather station, and to evaluate the correlation between estimated LWD over turfgrass and LWD measured in a 'Niagara Rosada' vineyard, cultivated in a hedgerow training system, in Jundiaí, São Paulo State, Brazil. The wetness sensors inside the vineyard were located at the top of the plants, deployed at an inclination angle of 45º and oriented southwest, with three replications. The methods used to estimate LWD were: number of hours with relative humidity above 90% (NHRH > 90%), dew point depression (DPD), classification and regression tree (CART) and Penman-Monteith (PM). The CART model had the best performance to estimate LWD over turfgrass, with a good precision (R² = 0.82) and a high accuracy (d = 0.94), resulting in a good confidence index (c = 0.85). The results from this model also presented a good correlation with measured LWD inside the vineyard, with a good precision (R² = 0.87) and a high accuracy (d = 0.96), resulting in a high confidence index (c = 0.93), showing that LWD in a 'Niagara Rosada' vineyard can be estimated with data from a standard weather station.

A duração do período de molhamento (DPM) é uma variável agrometeorológica chave para a ocorrência de doenças de plantas. Como a DPM é raramente medida nas estações meteorológicas, ela deve ser estimada quando se pretende empregar sistemas de alerta de controle químico. Desse modo, o objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar a estimativa da DPM sobre gramado por diferentes modelos a partir de dados meteorológicos obtidos em uma estação meteorológica padrão e verificar as relações entre a DPM estimada para o gramado e a medida em um vinhedo de 'Niagara Rosada', conduzido em espaldeira, em Jundiaí, SP, Brasil. Os sensores de molhamento no vinhedo foram instalados no topo das plantas com um ângulo de inclinação de 45º e com a face superior do sensor voltada para sudoeste, com três repetições. Os quatro modelos de estimativa da DPM foram: número de horas com umidade relativa do ar acima de 90% (NHUR > 90%), depressão do ponto de orvalho (DPO), árvore de classificação e regressão (CART) e o de Penman-Monteith (PM). O modelo CART estimou melhor a DPM no gramado, apresentando uma boa precisão (R² = 0,82) e uma ótima exatidão (d = 0,94), resultando num bom índice de confiabilidade (c = 0,85). Esta estimativa também apresentou uma boa correlação com a DPM medida no interior do vinhedo, com uma precisão razoável (R² = 0,87) e uma ótima exatidão (d = 0,96), resultando num ótimo índice de confiabilidade (c = 0,93), o que permite concluir que é possível estimar a DPM no vinhedo de 'Niagara Rosada' por meio de dados medidos ou estimados na estação meteorológica padrão.