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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lincoln, Nebraska » Agroecosystem Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #412503
Research Project: Integrated Agricultural Systems for a Resilient Circular Bioeconomy in the Central Plains

Location: Agroecosystem Management Research

Title: Evapotranspiration of rain-fed mixed perennial grass production systems in Western Nebraska

Author
item ZUMPF, COLLEEN - Argonne National Laboratory
item CACHO, JULES - Argonne National Laboratory
item QUINN, JOHN - Argonne National Laboratory
item Schmer, Marty
item REDFEARN, DAREN - University Of Nebraska
item PETERSON, JULIE - University Of Nebraska
item NEGRI, CRISTINA - Argonne National Laboratory

Submitted to: Soil and Water Conservation Society Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/2/2024
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Agricultural production systems in the U.S. Northern Great Plains rely heavily upon irrigation water to support high crop productivity. Declines in available groundwater resources from the Ogallala aquifer raise concerns for the long-term sustainability of water resources especially as the prevalence of droughts has increased. This study evaluates the production of rain-fed perennial bioenergy grasses on a portion of these irrigated croplands as an alternative crop to minimize water demands while providing harvestable biomass for bioenergy or bioproducts. Evapotranspiration (ET) of six large-scale, long-term, paired agricultural fields were monitored from 2021-2023. Each pair included an irrigated corn or soybean field and a neighboring Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) mixed perennial grass field (used as a proxy for a native bioenergy grass such as switchgrass or a low-diversity grass mixture). Evapotranspiration was measured using a remote-sensing, energy balance-based model called the Mapping EvapoTranspiration at high Resolution with Internalized Calibration (METRIC) model. The METRIC model uses Landsat satellite imagery (Landsat 7, 8, and 9) and ground-based weather stations to estimate daily ET at a 30-m spatial resolution. Results highlight the difference in evapotranspiration between the paired fields, with lower ET observed during the summer months in the CRP sites compared to irrigated corn and soybean fields. These results provide valuable data to support other water use metrics modeled as a part of this study and evaluate the sustainability of producing perennial grass bioenergy crops as an alternative to irrigated row crops in the U.S. Northern Great Plains.