Application of reflectance based vegetation index to derive dual crop co-efficient for summer sesame

Abstract

Dual crop co-efficient approach was applied to estimate seasonal water requirement for summer sesame using reflectance based vegetation indices. Field experiment was conducted to collect the required various crop physiologic parameters and NDVI data for the study crop during 2018 and 2019. Basal crop co-efficients and soil evaporation co-efficients collected from FAO-56 for initial mid and end stages of summer sesame were adjusted for study area using local weather parameters. Spectrum® Field Scout CM 1000 NDVI Meter were used to collect the NDVI data at various stages of study crop. The NDVI was measured from crop canopy and soil surface at 7 days intervals between 12.00 to 13.00 clocks. NDVI Based Basal Crop Co-efficient and Soil evaporation co-efficient were derived using standard methods. FAO estimated crop co-efficients were compared with NDVI based crop co-efficients. The co-efficient of determination of the fitted regression equation was found to be 0.836 and 0.765 for drip irrigation and 0.783 and 0.867 for surface control irrigation system for summer sesame during 2018 and 2019, respectively. Crop growing stage wise water requirement per unit area was estimated for both treatments. Results indicates that among these two methods, NDVI method estimate lowest water requirement in both cases i.e. total water requirement and during all the crop growth stages for both irrigation systems while daily crop water requirement was lower for all growth stages in drip system as compare with control system.