Parallel 41 Flux Network expands to include new towers, new capabilities

Eddy covariance flux tower network featured by Daughterty Water for Food Global Institute in its 2022 Annual Report

The Parallel 41 Flux Network — a series of eddy covariance (EC) flux towers located across the Central Plains of the United States — determines movement of water vapor and other gasses in cropped fields. The variance in this movement and the composition of the air helps measure evapotranspiration (ET) more exactly. Accurate and timely ET data ultimately helps growers to precisely apply the amount of irrigation water that crops need, when they need it, to achieve the best possible yields.

The data collected from the suite of flux towers is also being used to ground truth satellite data generated by GloDET - Global Daily Evapotranspiration, a free website portal to view and download global daily ET spatial datasets, estimated using the ALEXI model, developed by partners at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service.

The information from models, data collection and analysis is freely shared and has a powerful impact on improving water accounting, water productivity, irrigation scheduling, variable rate irrigation scheduling and drought monitoring.

The Irrigation Innovation Consortium contributed support to help establish and expand the Parallel 41 network and to conduct related research and outreach. In 2021, DWFI added two additional flux towers in Nebraska. One is in the Upper Republican NRD area to evaluate water balance and help estimate the recharge rate for farmers who are not irrigating. This data will also help the Upper Republican NRD develop effective and fair pumping policies. The other new tower was installed in the Lower Republican River Basin, measuring the range of precipitation and soil moisture, which supports better irrigation decisions to meet the area’s specific soil and crop conditions. A third tower was installed in the Middle Republican NRD during the 2022 season.

Continue reading about the P41 Flux tower network and its capabilities by clicking on the button below to view full article published as part of the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute’s FY2022 Annual Report.