Ground Measurements and Remote Sensing Modeling of Gross Primary Productivity and Water Use Efficiency in Almond Agroecosystems

Clara Gabaldón-Leal (), Álvaro Sánchez-Virosta, Carolina Doña, José González-Piqueras, Juan Manuel Sánchez and Ramón López-Urrea
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Clara Gabaldón-Leal: Remote Sensing and GIS Group, Regional Development Institute, Campus of Albacete, University of Castilla-La Mancha (IDR-UCLM), 02071 Albacete, Spain
Álvaro Sánchez-Virosta: Remote Sensing and GIS Group, Regional Development Institute, Campus of Albacete, University of Castilla-La Mancha (IDR-UCLM), 02071 Albacete, Spain
Carolina Doña: Remote Sensing and GIS Group, Regional Development Institute, Campus of Albacete, University of Castilla-La Mancha (IDR-UCLM), 02071 Albacete, Spain
José González-Piqueras: Remote Sensing and GIS Group, Regional Development Institute, Campus of Albacete, University of Castilla-La Mancha (IDR-UCLM), 02071 Albacete, Spain
Juan Manuel Sánchez: Remote Sensing and GIS Group, Regional Development Institute, Campus of Albacete, University of Castilla-La Mancha (IDR-UCLM), 02071 Albacete, Spain
Ramón López-Urrea: Desertification Research Centre (CIDE), CSIC-UV-GVA, Carretera CV 315, km 10.7, 46113 Moncada, Spain

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-22

Abstract: Agriculture plays a crucial role as a carbon sink in the atmosphere, contributing to a climate-neutral economy, which requires a comprehensive understanding of Earth’s complex biogeochemical processes. This study aims to quantify, for the first time, Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) and ecosystem water use efficiency (eWUE) in almond orchards during their vegetative phase. The study was conducted over six growing seasons (2017–2022) across two drip-irrigated commercial almond groves located in Albacete, SE Spain. Eddy covariance flux tower systems were used to measure Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) and evapotranspiration (ET), which were then used to calculate GPP and eWUE. A novel approach was developed to estimate eWUE by integrating the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), reference ET, and air temperature. The results show similar almond orchard carbon-fixing capacity rates to those of other natural and agro-ecosystems. Seasonal and interannual variability in GPP and eWUE were observed. The NDVI-ET combination proved to be effective for GPP estimations (regression coefficient of 0.78). Maximum carbon-fixing values were observed at ET values of around 4–5 mm/d. In addition, a novel method was developed to estimate eWUE from NDVI, reference ET and air temperature (RMSE of 0.38 g·C/kg·H 2 O). This study highlights the carbon capture potential of almond orchards during their vegetative phase and introduces a novel approach for eWUE monitoring, with the intention of underscoring their significance in a climate change context and to encourage further research.

Keywords: eddy covariance; carbon uptake; mitigation; vegetation index (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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