Monitoring Irrigation Consumption Using High Resolution NDVI Image Time Series: Calibration and Validation in the Kairouan Plain (Tunisia)

A novel approach using high-resolution NDVI image time series significantly improves the monitoring of irrigation consumption, offering unprecedented accuracy for water balance assessments in semi-arid agricultural regions. The study, conducted in Kairouan, Tunisia, leveraged the SAMIR software and FAO-56 dual crop coefficient model to estimate evapotranspiration and irrigation volumes with high precision. By normalizing SPOT5 time series data against a SPOT4 reference, researchers generated NDVI profiles that enabled robust calibration and validation at both plot and perimeter scales. Results demonstrated an average Nash efficiency of 0.57 for modeled versus observed evapotranspiration in barley and wheat plots, while aggregated irrigation volumes closely matched observed values (135 mm vs. 121 mm). This method holds promise for refining water resource management in semi-arid landscapes, though further improvements at finer timescales are needed.

Saadi, S., Simonneaux, V., Boulet, G., Raimbault, B., Mougenot, B., Fanise, P., Ayari, H., & Lili-Chabaane, Z. (2015). Monitoring Irrigation Consumption Using High Resolution NDVI Image Time Series: Calibration and Validation in the Kairouan Plain (Tunisia). Remote Sensing, 7(10), 13005–13028. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs71013005