AgriMet Network TWG 2012 Jama Hamel

AgriMet Network Expansion Since 1983

AgriMet Partnerships –Over 25 entities, including: Federal agencies State agencies Soil & water conservation districts Universities Public utilities Private enterprise

AgriMet Operations: Data Collection

Hourly Data Transmissions –Channel 170 (100% HDR in 2008) –Transmit from 00:15:00 to 00:30:00 –Stations transmit alphabetically –Data posted to the website each hour

AgriMet Operations: ET Computation

AgriMet uses the 1982 Kimberly- Penman ET model Developed by USDA Agricultural Research Service in Kimberly, Idaho Alfalfa based reference model

Crop coefficients relate reference ET to crop specific ET: ET c = ET r x K c ET c Specific Crop Consumptive Use ET r Reference Evapotranspiration (Alfalfa) K c Crop Coefficient (varies with time)

Generalized Crop Coefficients for Field and Row Crops From: Allen, R. G

ET can vary considerably from one day to the next

AgriMet Operations: Site Maintenance and Calibration

Precision Relative Humidity/Temperature Chamber

AgriMet Operations: Data Quality Control / Quality Assurance

Automated Q/C –Satellite transmission quality checks –Upper and lower limit checks on sensor data –Rate of change between consecutive readings

Manual Q/C –Every morning, data graphically reviewed –Geographically similar stations grouped –All weather parameters reviewed –Bad data estimated or deleted –Dependent computations (ET) recomputed

AgriMet Operations: Other Uses of AgriMet Data

Other uses of AgriMet information –National Weather Service –State DEQ investigate pesticide application and ground water contamination issues –Electric utilities model heating/air conditioning and peaking power requirements –State water departments

Other uses of AgriMet information: Verification and calibration of satellite technologies

Other uses of AgriMet information: Source of ET data for “Smart Irrigation Controllers” for Turf Grass

Questions?