Data Intelligence Model and Meta-Heuristic Algorithms-Based Pan Evaporation Modelling in Two Different Agro-Climatic Zones: A Case Study from Northern India

• Published in: Atmosphere Vol. 12; no. 12; p. 1654
• Main Authors: Kushwaha, Nand Lal, Rajput, Jitendra, Elbeltagi, Ahmed, Elnaggar, Ashraf Y., Sena, Dipaka Ranjan, Vishwakarma, Dinesh Kumar, Mani, Indra, Hussein, Enas E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.12.2021
• Subjects: Agricultural management; Algorithms; Arid climates; Aridity; Artificial intelligence; Climatic zones; Correlation coefficient; Correlation coefficients; Datasets; Error reduction; Evaporation; Gene expression; Heuristic; Heuristic methods; Humid climates; Humidity; Hydrology; Intelligence; Irrigation scheduling; Irrigation water; Mars; Modelling; Pan evaporation; Problem solving; Rain; random subspace; random tree; Root-mean-square errors; Semiarid climates; Sensitivity analysis; Statistical analysis; Statistics; Subhumid climates; support vector machine; Support vector machines; Water management; Wavelet transforms; Weather; India
• ISSN: 2073-4433; 2073-4433
• DOI: 10.3390/atmos12121654

Precise quantification of evaporation has a vital role in effective crop modelling, irrigation scheduling, and agricultural water management. In recent years, the data-driven models using meta-heuristics algorithms have attracted the attention of researchers worldwide. In this investigation, we have examined the performance of models employing four meta-heuristic algorithms, namely, support vector machine (SVM), random tree (RT), reduced error pruning tree (REPTree), and random subspace (RSS) for simulating daily pan evaporation (EPd) at two different locations in north India representing semi-arid climate (New Delhi) and sub-humid climate (Ludhiana). The most suitable combinations of meteorological input variables as covariates to estimate EPd were ascertained through the subset regression technique followed by sensitivity analyses. The statistical indicators such as root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), Willmott index (WI), and correlation coefficient (r) followed by graphical interpretations, were utilized for model evaluation. The SVM algorithm successfully performed in reconstructing the EPd time series with acceptable statistical criteria (i.e., NSE = 0.937, 0.795; WI = 0.984, 0.943; r = 0.968, 0.902; MAE = 0.055, 0.993 mm/day; and RMSE = 0.092, 1.317 mm/day) compared with the other applied algorithms during the testing phase at the New Delhi and Ludhiana stations, respectively. This study also demonstrated and discussed the potential of meta-heuristic algorithms for producing reasonable estimates of daily evaporation using minimal meteorological input variables with applicability of the best candidate model vetted in two diverse agro-climatic settings.