New model predicts crop water needs with 17% accuracy.
A new model called AREM was developed to estimate daily evapotranspiration using only meteorological data. By analyzing data from different sites in the USA, researchers found a strong relationship between humidity, reference evapotranspiration, and actual evapotranspiration. This allowed them to create a simple formula to calculate evapotranspiration for different crops without needing detailed information about the land or vegetation. The model had an average error of 17% during the growing season and 32% throughout the year, showing good accuracy in estimating evapotranspiration. The model was successful in capturing evapotranspiration dynamics at different time scales, making it a useful tool for farmers and land managers.