The use of satellite measurements to estimate photosynthetically active radiation

Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) reaching the earth surface is a major parameter controlling many biological and physical processes related with the evolution of plant canopies, agricultural and environmental fields. Unfortunately PAR is not often measured and therefore must be estimated from other meteorological variables. Satellite measurements can provide PAR estimates over wide areas and with a high temporal frequency. These estimations can be used to estimate the agroclimatic potential of a location or as input data for different crop productivity models. In this paper we use a new method to estimate PAR using measurements from Meteosat. The satellite estimates are tested against ground measurements of PAR in Southern Spain. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.