Spatial interpolation of irrigation requirements in Guanajuato

Irrigation water is a crucial factor in agricultural activity, making it essential to use the resource efficiently. In Mexico, the efficiency of irrigation systems is low, largely due to the uneven and limited adoption of technology. In this scenario, it is vital to accurately determine the net irri...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: López Carranza, Aristeo de Jesús, Olmedo Vazquez, Víctor Manuel, González Sánchez, Alberto, ernández Hernández, Ma. Leticia H, Rómulo Juárez, Anayeli
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:México
Institución:UNIVERSIDAD AUTÓNOMA CHAPINGO
Repositorio:Revista de Geografía Agrícola
Idioma:español
OAI Identifier:oai:ojs2.revistas.chapingo.mx:article/449
Acceso en línea:https://revistas.chapingo.mx/geografia/article/view/r.rga.2021.73.8
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Interpolación espacial
requerimientos de riego
evapotranspiración
precipitación efectiva
QGIS
Spatial interpolation
irrigation requirements
evapotranspiration
effective precipitation
Descripción
Sumario:Irrigation water is a crucial factor in agricultural activity, making it essential to use the resource efficiently. In Mexico, the efficiency of irrigation systems is low, largely due to the uneven and limited adoption of technology. In this scenario, it is vital to accurately determine the net irrigation requirements (IR) of crops to quantify the water volumes needed to meet crop demands across the country’s agricultural regions. One prominent region is the state of Guanajuato, Mexico, which dedicates over 30 % of its agricultural land to irrigation. This study identifies the IR for the main crops in Guanajuato, creating maps that display their distribution using QGIS software and the inverse distance weighted (IDW) spatial interpolation method, selected for its simplicity, particularly regarding data input in QGIS. This method produced a clear, relatively continuous surface showing the spatial distribution of interpolated values. The modeled crops were alfalfa, barley, maize, sorghum, and wheat. Three variables were considered to calculate the irrigation requirements: reference evapotranspiration (ETo), Effective Precipitation (Pe), and crop evapotranspiration (ET). ETo was computed using Cropwat 8.0 and the Penman-Monteith method, Pe was estimated with the USDA method, and ET was derived from ETo and the crop coefficient (Kc). The state of Guanajuato has 104 weather stations that recorded maximum and minimum temperatures and precipitation from 1981 to 2010, data that was utilized in this study. The resulting maps allow visualization of water volumes, expressed as irrigation depths. These can be used to evaluate water usage in agriculture and aid in making informed decisions regarding irrigation management.