The energy balance components in a cowpea crop growing in the mountain region of Paraiba, Brazil ("Brejo Paraibano") was determined in a 4 ha area in the Centro de Ciências Agrárias, UFPB, in the municipality of Areia, PB (6o 58' S, 35o 41' W e 620 m). Measurements of rainfall, net and global radiation were made. Sensors at two levels above the canopy were also mounted, allowing the measurements of air temperature and relative humidity. Below the soil surface, two different sites were provided with two thermal probes, horizontally installed at depths of 2.0 and 8.0 cm, besides a heat flux plate 5.0 cm deep for soil heat flux measurements. All data were stored in a datalogger each 30 min. The average value of the net radiation was 78% of the global solar radiation, in which 71% appeared as latent heat flux, 19% as sensible heat flux and 10% as soil heat flux. The fractional content of the latent heat flux in the net radiation increased as the soil covered by the crop increased, while the two other components decreased.
Bowen ratio; net radiation; latent heat flux; sensible heat flux; soil heat flux
