Tracking crop evapotranspiration and water stress across seasons using multi-sensor UAV observations

Bates, Jordan Steven; Montzka, Carsten; Vereecken, Harry; Jonard, François

doi:10.5194/bg-23-7253-2026

Articles | Volume 23, issue 20

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-7253-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-7253-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 23, issue 20

Research article

|

16 Oct 2026

Research article |

| 16 Oct 2026

Tracking crop evapotranspiration and water stress across seasons using multi-sensor UAV observations

Jordan Steven Bates, Carsten Montzka, Harry Vereecken, and François Jonard

Data sets

UAV Multi-Sensor Derived Inputs for TSEB-PT Evapotranspiration Estimation in Sugar Beet, Potato, and Winter Wheat Jordan Steven Bates et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23056700

ETC L2 Fluxnet (half-hourly) from Selhausen Juelich, 2018-12-31-2025-09-30 M. Schmidt et al. https://hdl.handle.net/11676/-6oQN2W3wkdiVa0M-dWohuCG

ETC L2 Meteo from Selhausen Juelich, 2018-12-31-2025-09-30 M. Schmidt et al. https://hdl.handle.net/11676/rmxzviWfbl64eSzQyqaQM8nB

Model code and software

pyTSEB: A Python Two Source Energy Balance model for estimation of evapotranspiration with remote sensing data, version 2.2 H. Nieto et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.594732

Short summary

We used drones with thermal, multispectral, and laser sensors to measure crop water use across three growing seasons. Combining temperature with information on both green and structural plant growth improved estimates of crop water use, particularly as crops aged or experienced stress. The approach revealed detailed patterns of reduced water use across fields, supporting earlier identification of crop stress.