Estimation of the crop evapotranspiration for Udham Singh Nagar district using modified Priestley-Taylor model and Landsat imagery

The main challenges for utilizing daily evapotranspiration (ET) estimation in the study area revolve around the need for accurate and reliable data inputs, as well as the interpretation of ET dynamics within the context of local agricultural practices and environmental conditions. Factors such as cloud cover, atmospheric aerosols, and variations in land cover pose challenges to the precise estimation of ET from remote sensing data. This research aimed to utilize Landsat 8 and 9 datasets from the 2022-23 period in the Udham Singh Nagar district to apply the modified Priestley-Taylor (MPT) model for estimating ET. An average ET was estimated 1.33, 1.57, 1.70, 2.99, and 3.20 mm day^-1 with 0.29, 0.33, 0.41, 0.69, and 1.03 standard deviation for December, January, February, March, and April month, respectively. In the validation phase, a strong correlation was found between the evaporative fraction derived from MPT and that observed by lysimeter, with R² = 0.71, mean biased error = 0.04 mm day^-1, root mean squared error = 0.62 mm day^-1 and agreement index of 0.914. These results collectively support the effectiveness of the MPT model in accurately estimating ET across Udham Singh Nagar district. In essence, this research not only confirms the MPT model's capability in ET estimation but also offers detailed insights into the spatial and temporal fluctuations of energy fluxes and daily ET rates.