Using energy balance data for assessing evapotranspiration and crop coefficients in a Mediterranean vineyard

Improving water use efficiency is a key element of water management in irrigated viticulture, especially in arid or semi-arid areas. In this study, the micrometeorological technique “Eddy Covariance” was used to directly quantify the crop evapotranspiration (ET) and to analyze the complex relationships between evapotranspiration, energy fluxes, and meteorological conditions. Both observed Direct measurements (DIR) of latent heat flux (LE) and observed from the residual of the energy balance (REB) equation were used for crop evapotranspiration calculations. Observed crop coefficients (K _cms) were then determined using the standardized reference evapotranspiration (ET_o) equation for short canopies. In addition, linear approximations from observations were used to model the seasonal trend lines for crop coefficients and K _cs values were parameterized by first identifying the beginning and end of each growth stage. The modeled K _cs values were used to predict daily ET from ET_o measurements and compared with values from literature. The daily observed DIR ET values (ET_do) were lower than REB ET (ET_ro) during periods with precipitation, but they were similar during dry periods, which implies that energy balance closure is better when the surface is drier. Comparisons between modeled ET and crop ET estimated using K _c values from best agreement was observed between the modeled REB and FAO 56 and the local K _c values provided by the Regional Agency ARPAS showed good agreement with observed ET (from DIR and REB data) than the FAO 56 ones. The study confirmed that the availability of locally driven K _c could be relevant to quantify the crop water requirement and represents the starting point for a sustainable management of water resources.     

Operational aspects of satellite-based energy balance models for irrigated crops in the semi-arid U.S.

SEBAL and METRIC remote sensing energy-balance based evapotranspiration (ET) models have been applied in the western United States. ET predicted by the models was compared to lysimeter-measured ET in agricultural settings. The ET comparison studies showed that the ET estimated by the remote sensing models corresponded well with lysimeter-measured ET for agricultural crops in the semi-arid climates. Sensitivity analyses on impacts of atmospheric correction for surface temperature and albedo showed that the internal calibration procedures incorporated in the models helped compensate for errors in temperature and albedo estimation. A repeatability test by two totally independent model applications using different images, operators and weather datasets showed that seasonal estimations by the models have high repeatability (i.e. stable results over ranges in satellite image timing, operator preferences and weather datasets). These results imply that the SEBAL/METRIC remote sensing models have a high potential for successful ET estimation in the semi-arid United States.     

A Landsat-based energy balance and evapotranspiration model in Western US water rights regulation and planning

The quantification of evapotranspiration (ET) from irrigated projects is important for water rights management, water resources planning and water regulation. Traditionally, ET has been estimated by multiplying a weather-based reference ET by crop coefficients (K_c) determined according to the crop type and the crop growth stage. However, there is typically question regarding whether crops grown compare with the conditions represented by the K_c values, especially in water short areas. In addition, it is difficult to estimate the correct crop growth stage dates for large populations of crops and fields. METRIC (Mapping Evapotranspiration at high Resolution and with Internalized Calibration) is an image-processing model for calculating ET as a residual of the surface energy balance. METRIC is a variant of SEBAL, an energy balance process developed in the Netherlands by Bastiaanssen and was extended to provide tighter integration with ground-based reference ET. METRIC was applied with Landsat images in southern Idaho to predict monthly and seasonal ET for water rights accounting and for operation of ground water models. ET “maps” (i.e., images) provide the means to quantify, in terms of both the amount and spatial distribution, the ET on a field by field basis. The ET maps have been used in Idaho to quantify net ground-water pumpage in areas where water extraction from underground is not measured and to estimate recharge from surface-irrigated lands. Application and testing of METRIC indicates substantial promise as an efficient, accurate, and relatively inexpensive procedure to predict the actual evaporation fluxes from irrigated lands throughout a growing season.     

Comparisons of energy balance and evapotranspiration between flooded and aerobic rice fields in the Philippines

The seasonal and annual variability of sensible heat flux (H), latent heat flux (LE), evapotranspiration (ET), crop coefficient (K_c) and crop water productivity (WP_ET) were investigated under two different rice environments, flooded and aerobic soil conditions, using the eddy covariance (EC) technique during 2008-2009 cropping periods. Since we had only one EC system for monitoring two rice environments, we had to move the system from one location to the other every week. In total, we had to gap-fill an average of 50-60% of the missing weekly data as well as those values rejected by the quality control tests in each rice field in all four cropping seasons. Although the EC method provides a direct measurement of LE, which is the energy used for ET, we needed to correct the values of H and LE to close the energy balance using the Bowen ratio closure method before we used LE to estimate ET. On average, the energy balance closure before correction was 0.72 ± 0.06 and it increased to 0.99 ± 0.01 after correction. The G in both flooded and aerobic fields was very low. Likewise, the energy involved in miscellaneous processes such as photosynthesis, respiration and heat storage in the rice canopy was not taken into consideration.Average for four cropping seasons, flooded rice fields had 19% more LE than aerobic fields whereas aerobic rice fields had 45% more H than flooded fields. This resulted in a lower Bowen ratio in flooded fields (0.14 ± 0.03) than in aerobic fields (0.24 ± 0.01). For our study sites, evapotranspiration was primarily controlled by net radiation. The aerobic rice fields had lower growing season ET rates (3.81 ± 0.21 mm d⁻¹) than the flooded rice fields (4.29 ± 0.23 mm d⁻¹), most probably due to the absence of ponded water and lower leaf area index of aerobic rice. Likewise, the crop coefficient, K_c, of aerobic rice was significantly lower than that of flooded rice. For aerobic rice, K_c values were 0.95 ± 0.01 for the vegetative stage, 1.00 ± 0.01 for the reproductive stage, 0.97 ± 0.04 for the ripening stage and 0.88 ± 0.03 for the fallow period, whereas, for flooded rice, K_c values were 1.04 ± 0.04 for the vegetative stage, 1.11 ± 0.05 for the reproductive stage, 1.04 ± 0.05 for the ripening stage and 0.93 ± 0.06 for the fallow period. The average annual ET was 1301 mm for aerobic rice and 1440 mm for flooded rice. This corresponds to about 11% lower total evapotranspiration in aerobic fields than in flooded fields. However, the crop water productivity (WP_ET) of aerobic rice (0.42 ± 0.03 g grain kg⁻¹ water) was significantly lower than that of flooded rice (1.26 ± 0.26 g grain kg⁻¹ water) because the grain yields of aerobic rice were very low since they were subjected to water stress.The results of this investigation showed significant differences in energy balance and evapotranspiration between flooded and aerobic rice ecosystems. Aerobic rice is one of the promising water-saving technologies being developed to lower the water requirements of the rice crop to address the issues of water scarcity. This information should be taken into consideration in evaluating alternative water-saving technologies for environmentally sustainable rice production systems.     

Effect of seasonal water stress imposed on drip irrigated second crop watermelon grown in semi-arid climatic conditions

A study was conducted to determine the water stress effect on yield and some physiological parameters including crop water stress index for drip irrigated second crop watermelon. Irrigations were scheduled based on replenishment of 100, 75, 50, 25, and 0% soil water depletion from 90 cm soil depth with 3-day irrigation interval. Seasonal crop evapotranspiration (ET) for I₁₀₀, I₇₅, I₅₀, I₂₅, and I₀ were 660, 525, 396, 210, and 70 mm in 2003 and 677, 529, 405, 221, and 75 mm in 2004. Fruit yield was significantly lowered by irrigation water stress. Average water-yield response factor for both of the years was 1.14. The highest yield was obtained from full irrigated treatment as 34.5 and 38.2 t ha⁻¹ in 2003 and 2004, respectively. Lower ET rates and irrigation amounts in water stress treatments resulted in reductions in all measured parameters, except water-soluble dry matter concentrations (SDM). Canopy dry weights, leaf relative water content, and total leaf chlorophyll content were significantly lowered by water stress. Yield and seasonal ET were linearly correlated with mean CWSI values. An average threshold CWSI value of 0.17 before irrigation produced the maximum yield and it could be used to initiate the irrigation for watermelon.     

Evaluation of the surface renewal method to estimate wheat evapotranspiration

The performance of the surface renewal method to estimate latent heat fluxes (LE) over a wheat crop was evaluated by comparison against values of LE measured independently using a weighing lysimeter. High-frequency temperature readings were taken at 1.5 m above ground from 29 April to 7 June 2000 over a 0.7–0.8 m high wheat crop. Surface renewal analysis was applied for two time lags r (0.75 and 0.25 s) to estimate half-hour sensible heat flux (H) and, subsequently, LE by solving the energy balance equation, using concurrent measurements of net radiation and soil heat flux. When H was estimated using sensor measurement height (z) in the computations, indices of agreement (IA) between lysimeter and surface renewal LE were above 0.94 and relative errors varied between 8.5 and 14.9% for time lag r=0.75 s for all analyzed days but 7 June. Results were slightly poorer for time lag r=0.25 s. When z−h_c or z−d (h_c being the crop height and d being the zero plane displacement) were used instead of z to compute H, surface renewal LE estimates slightly improved, particularly for the z−d case. The improvement was particularly noticeable for 7 June. The use of z−h_c or z−d was thus more appropriate for these measurements, with the result that it was not necessary to calibrate the weighing factor α, as required by the standard surface renewal method. Unfortunately, although of similar magnitude than those reported for other micrometeorological methods, surface renewal errors found in this paper were biased and LE was underestimated. Further research and testing of the surface renewal method is therefore required to remove biases from the estimates of LE.     

Assessment of the SPAW model for semi-arid growing conditions with minimal local calibration

The performance of the soil—piant—air—water (SPAW) model, developed in the United States, was assessed using data from a long-term experiment where wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was grown on fallow land in the semi-arid zone of Saskatchewan. The input of the model consisted primarily of functions and parameters that were obtained from the literature and which were held constant from year to year; exceptions were the locally measured precipitation and potential evapotranspiration data, as well as the appropriate seeding and harvesting dates. Model predictions of soil water content in the root zone corresponded well with measured values, with an overall root mean square of the difference between the measured and the estimated water content of 1.8 cm. A reasonable separation of the components of actual evapotranspiration was obtained. The possibility of predicting bimodal flow with the model increases its utility with regard to water use and soil fertility studies.     

Evapotranspiration and irrigation effeciency of mature orange orchards in Valencia (Spain)

Actual evapotranspiration (ETc) of three mature sweet orange orchards (cv. Salustiana and Washington Navel on sour orange), under border irrigation and typical cultural practices was measured by the water balance method during 1981 to 1984. Soil water content was measured at 7 to 10 day intervals using a neutron meter and soil sampling of the 0–10 cm surface layer. Zero flux plane was calculated by measurements with mercury tensiometers. Irrigation water in these and other 5 similar orchards was measured by broad crested weirs. Rainfall and other climatic data for calculation of reference evapotranspiration by FAO's methods (ETo) were collected in a nearby meteorological station. Average yearly ETc ranged from 750 to 660 mm and mean monthly maximum was 3.7 and 3.2 mm/day in July for Salustiana and W. Navel orchards, respectively.ETo estimates for the different methods used were highly correlated (r ²0.94). Monthly crop coefficients (Kc) based on pan evaporation ranged from 0.5–0.6 in spring and summer to 0.8 in autumn and were about 10% higher than those for Penman or radiation methods. Average annual Kc for the three plots studied was 0.64, 0.61 and 0.51, respectively, and correlated well (r ²=0.99) with tree ground cover. Irrigation efficiency was about 50% for orchards with soils with less water holding capacity and more applied water per irrigation and 70–80% in orchards with deeper soils or with a higher water holding capacity. Increasing irrigation frequency and applying smaller amounts of water per irrigation with good uniformity can improve on-farm irrigation efficiency.     

The influence of early sowing of wheat and lupin crops on evapotranspiration and evaporation from the soil surface in a Mediterranean climate

The losses of water by evapotranspiration and evaporation from soil were investigated during two seasons from wheat and lupin crops sown at two times. Evapotranspiration was measured using ventilated chambers and microlysimeters were used within the chambers to measure evaporation from the soil surface. These techniques allowed the partitioning of evapotranspiration into its two components. In the early part of the season, evaporation from the soil surface was greatest beneath late-sown crops. Larger canopies, associated with early sowing, reduced evaporation during the energy-dependent first stage. The greater losses beneath late-sown crops were not sustained as surface soil water contents declined, decreasing the influence of canopy area on evaporation. Early sowing may increase evapotranspiration early in the season and thereby decrease the risk of drainage losses contributing to groundwater recharge. However, the magnitude of the hydrological advantages from early sowing is likely to vary each year according to seasonal climatic conditions.     

Calibration and validation of a remote sensing algorithm to estimate energy balance components and daily actual evapotranspiration over a drip-irrigated Merlot vineyard

A study was carried out to calibrate and validate a remote sensing algorithm (RSA) for estimating instantaneous surface energy balance components and daily actual evapotranspiration (ETa) over a drip-irrigated Merlot vineyard located in the Maule Region of Chile (35° 25′ LS; 71° 32′ LW; 125?m.a.s.l.). ETa was estimated as a function of instantaneous evaporative fraction and average daily net radiation (Rn_day) using meteorological variables in combination with reflectance data measured by a hand-held multi-spectral radiometer. The sub-models used to estimate the instantaneous net radiation (Rn_ins), soil heat flux (G _ins), and Rn_day were calibrated and validated using measurements of the surface energy balance components, incoming longwave radiation $(L \downarrow_{\text{ins}})$ , outgoing longwave radiation $(L \uparrow_{\text{ins}})$ , and surface albedo (α). The validations of instantaneous sensible heat flux (H _ins), latent heat flux (LE_ins), and ETa were carried out using turbulent energy fluxes obtained from an eddy correlation (EC) system. For reducing the moderate EC imbalance (about 11?%), turbulent energy fluxes were recalculated using the Bowen ratio method. The validation analysis indicated that the calibrated sub-models of the RSA were able to estimate Rn_ins, G _ins, H _ins, and LE_ins with a root-mean-square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and index of agreement (IA) ranging between 16–54, 13–44?W?m^?2, and 0.72–94, respectively. Also, the RSA was able to estimate ETa with RMSE?=?0.38?mm?day^?1, MAE?=?0.32?mm?day^?1 and IA?=?0.96. These results demonstrate the potential use of reflectance and meteorological data to estimate ETa of a drip-irrigated Merlot vineyard.     

The soil water balance of rainfed and irrigated oats,Italian rye grass and rye using the CropSyst model

Crop growth models have been used in simulating the soil water balance for purposes of irrigation management and yield predictions. The application of CropSyst, a cropping systems simulation model, was evaluated for Cedara, South Africa. Simulations included soil water balance of fallow land and rainfed and irrigated winter crops [oats (Avena sativa), Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) and rye (Secale cereale)]; and irrigation scheduling of the winter crops. Soil, plant, weather and management inputs were used for the soil water balance simulations. Model crop parameters were used from past experiments or obtained from model documentation, with a slight modification to account for varietal differences. The fallow land soil water simulations were more accurate for dry than for wet soil. For all three winter crops, the model consistently over-estimated the soil water content in the upper layers, with a good agreement for the deeper layers until a large precipitation event occurred to which the model responded more slowly than that observed. Simulations using model-scheduled irrigation based on 0.4 and 0.6 maximum allowable depletion criteria indicated that the observed applied irrigation in the field was more than that required. Soil water depletion and accumulated transpiration simulations were similar in both the observed and model-scheduled irrigations, but total soil evaporation and percolation were greater in the case of the observed than the model-scheduled irrigations. Irrigation scheduling using crop growth models may assist in avoiding over- or under-application of irrigation applications by ensuring efficient utilization of rain and irrigation.     

Measurement and estimation of plastic greenhouse reference evapotranspiration in a Mediterranean climate

The standard FAO methodology for the determination of crop water requirements uses the product of reference evapotranspiration (ET_o) and crop coefficient values. This methodology can be also applied to soil-grown plastic greenhouse crops, which occupy extended areas in the Mediterranean basin, but there are few data assessing methodologies for estimating ET_o in plastic greenhouses. Free-drainage lysimeters were used between 1993 and 2004 to measure ET_o inside a plastic greenhouse with a perennial grass in Almería, south-eastern Spain. Mean daily measured greenhouse ET_o ranged from values slightly less than 1 mm day⁻¹ during winter to values of approximately 4 mm day⁻¹ during summer in July. When the greenhouse surface was whitened from March to September (a common practice to control temperature), measured ET_o was reduced by an average of 21.4%. Different methodologies to calculate ET_o were checked against the measurements in the greenhouse without and with whitening. The methods that performed best in terms of accuracy and statistics were: FAO56 Penman–Monteith with a fixed aerodynamic resistance of 150 s m⁻¹, FAO24 Pan Evaporation with a constant Kp of 0.79, a locally-calibrated radiation method and Hargreaves. Given the data requirements of the different methods, the Hargreaves and the radiation methods are recommended for the calculation of greenhouse ET_o because of their simplicity.     

Roots in irrigated clay soils: Measurement techniques and responses to rootzone conditions

Summary This paper reviews research carried out at the Griffith Laboratory in Australia over the last decade on techniques for, and results of, observations of roots in irrigated clay soils. Our results emphasise the adaptability of root systems to rootzone conditions. Experiences with techniques for observing roots non-destructively in the field and both non-destructively and destructively in lysimeters are described. We concluded that the minirhizotron technique, applied in the field, was unreliable under our conditions. Horizontal root observation tubes were used in lysimeters to measure root length density (RLD) and to assess whether roots were clumped together or randomly distributed. Destructive sampling and measurement of RLD was used to establish a theoretical relationship between root intercept counts along the tubes and RLD. The application of image analysis to both destructive and non-destructive sampling in the lysimeters is outlined. The non-destructive lysimeter studies showed that roots were significantly clumped. Analysis of root intercept and root hole counts on the faces of sample cubes taken from the lysimeters showed root distribution was anisotropic over the whole soil profile for both safflower and wheat. There were many more roots and root holes present in the sampled soil cubes than was indicated by independent sampling for washed out RLD. Safflower appeared to have a faster turnover of roots than did wheat or maize. Lysimeters, equipped with horizontal root observation tubes, enabled studies to be made of many factors affecting root growth. Soils affect where and how fast roots grow, although there is also a strong species interaction. For example, soybean roots proliferated above a fresh water table in one soil but not in another; wheat had little tendency to proliferate above the water table in either soil. In wet soils, roots cease to grow once soil oxygen levels decrease below 10 mg O₂ l _soil ^-1 . This level should form the basis for soil drainage criteria. In drying soils, roots will grow successively into soil regions containing soil water: the level of adaptation being determined by soil conditions, crop growth stage and level of evaporative demand. The methods of root observation used in our studies have given quantitative assessment of root distribution. However, further research is needed to link horizontal and vertical root distribution and root adaptation more strongly to crop development and soil conditions.     

Rising water table: A threat to sustainable agriculture in an irrigated semi-arid region of Haryana, India

The sustainability of the rice-wheat cropping system in an irrigated semi-arid area of Haryana State (India) is under threat due to the continuous rise in the poor quality groundwater table, which is caused by the geo-hydrological condition and poor irrigation water management. About 500,000 ha in the State are waterlogged and unproductive and the size of the waterlogged area is increasing. We analyse the hydrology and estimate seasonal net groundwater recharge in the study area. Rainfall is quite variable, particularly in the monsoon season, and the mean monthly reference evapotranspiration shows a high inter-annual variation, with values between 2.45 and 8.47 mm/day in December and May. Groundwater recharge analysis during the study period (1989-2008) reveals that percolation from irrigated fields is the main recharge component with 57% contribution to the total recharge. An annual groundwater table rise of 0.137 m has been estimated for the study area. As the water table has been rising continuously, suitable water management strategies such as increasing groundwater abstraction by installing more tubewells, using the groundwater conjunctively with good quality canal water, changes in cropping patterns, adoption of salt tolerant crops, changes in water-pricing policy, and matching water supply more closely with demand, are suggested to bring the water table down to a safe limit and to prevent further rising of the water table.     

Evapotranspiration and water use of full and deficit irrigated cotton in the Mediterranean environment in northern Syria

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is the most important industrial and summer cash crop in Syria and many other countries in the arid areas but there are concerns about future production levels, given the high water requirements and the decline in water availability. Most farmers in Syria aim to maximize yield per unit of land regardless of the quantity of water applied. Water losses can be reduced and water productivity (yield per unit of water consumed) improved by applying deficit irrigation, but this requires a better understanding of crop response to various levels of water stress. This paper presents results from a 3-year study (2004-2006) conducted in northern Syria to quantify cotton yield response to different levels of water and fertilizer. The experiment included four irrigation levels and three levels of nitrogen (N) fertilizer under drip irrigation. The overall mean cotton (lint plus seed, or lintseed) yield was 2502 kg ha⁻¹, ranging from 1520 kg ha⁻¹ under 40% irrigation to 3460 kg ha⁻¹ under 100% irrigation. Mean water productivity (WP_ET) was 0.36 kg lintseed per m³ of crop actual evapotranspiration (ET_c), ranging from 0.32 kg m⁻³ under 40% irrigation to 0.39 kg m⁻³ under the 100% treatment. Results suggest that deficit irrigation does not improve biological water productivity of drip-irrigated cotton. Water and fertilizer levels (especially the former) have significant effects on yield, crop growth and WP_ET. Water, but not N level, has a highly significant effect on crop ET_c. The study provides production functions relating cotton yield to ET_c as well as soil water content at planting. These functions are useful for irrigation optimization and for forecasting the impact of water rationing and drought on regional water budgets and agricultural economies. The WP_ET values obtained in this study compare well with those reported from the southwestern USA, Argentina and other developed cotton producing regions. Most importantly, these WP_ET values are double the current values in Syria, suggesting that improved irrigation water and system management can improve WP_ET, and thus enhance conservation and sustainability in this water-scarce region.     

Salinity dynamics of wetland ditches receiving drainage from irrigated agricultural land in arid and semi-arid regions

Agricultural drainage ditches are considered as wetland ecosystems when they possess the characteristic hydrology, soil and vegetation of wetlands. In arid and semi-arid regions, wetlands receiving agricultural drainage have to cope with the conservative nature of salts leached from soils. Excessive accumulation of salts in wetlands may threaten the ecological functions of the system, thus endanger the sustainability of the drainage disposal system and the productivity of the farmlands. Based on the salt and water balance in a farmland drainage and wetland disposal system in arid regions, this paper presents a thorough investigation on salinity dynamics of wetland ditches receiving agricultural drainage. Theoretical equations were derived to describe salinity changes in water and soils of wetlands under both equilibrium and pre-equilibrium conditions; a case example was then used to display model predictions of salinity variations over time under different salinity management goals. The example wetlands are de facto drainage ditches that possess wetland characteristics, and the ditch to farmland area ratio is 9.1%. The results showed that salt as a conservative substance will eventually concentrate in the ditches to a very high level if there is little outflow discharge; but the salt accumulation process may develop over a relatively long time, which opens a time window for management practice, such as flushing the salts when fresh water is available. By assuming different threshold salinity levels in the ditches, the proposed analytical models were used to predict time intervals when fresh water recharge is needed to bring down the salinity level in the ditches. For the study area under current drainage practice, the predicted outflow to inflow ratio for salinity was 58.2% and reached an equilibrium level of 9.60 g L⁻¹ in the ditches; salinity levels in the ditches reached threshold values of 5, 7 and 9 g L⁻¹, in about 1, 4 and 12 years, respectively. Salinity analysis showed that the salt retention capacity of the ditch soil is limited, the soil salinity varied according to the ditch water; salt removal through plant uptake and harvest was insignificant. This study indicates that although salt concentration in wetlands receiving agricultural drainage may eventually build up to a critical level, timely recharge with fresh water may bring down salt content in the wetlands and sustain adequate environmental and ecological functions of such a drainage disposal system in arid and semi-arid regions.     

Lysimeter study on the use of biodrainage to control waterlogging and secondary salinization in (canal) irrigated arid/semi-arid environment

The study describes the capacity of trees to control the rise in water table and thus prevent the formation of waterlogged soils and development of secondary salinization in canal irrigated areas. It was conducted in RCC lysimeters of 1.2 m dia. and 2.5 m depth filled with sandy loam alluvial soil (Typic Ustochrept), with provisions to maintain water table depth at 1, 1.5 and 2 m from the surface and groundwater salinity at 0.4, 3, 6, 9 and 12 dS m-1. The amount of water biodrained by eucalyptus (Eucalyptus tereticornis) and bamboo (Bambusa arundinacea) at the given water table depths and groundwater salinity levels was monitored over four years by daily measuring the water needed for maintaining the water table. The trees continued to absorb and transpire water throughout the year, the capacity being more in summer and rainy than that was in the winter season. The eucalyptus plant could biodrain 2880, 5499, 5518 and 5148 mm of water in the first, second, third and fourth year of study period, from non-saline groundwater and a water table depth of 1.5 m. The amount of water biodrained was more at 1.5 m as compared to 1 and 2 m water table depths. The biodrainage capacity of trees was significantly affected by the salinity of the groundwater. However, even at salinity of 12 dS m-1, the eucalyptus plant biodrained 53% of that under non-saline conditions. It was calculated that biodrainage could control water table rises upto 1.95, 3.48, 3.76 and 3.64 m in first, second, third and fourth year, respectively. The secondary salinity developed in the root zone, upto 45 cm depth, did not exceed 4 dS m-1 even at water table depth of 1 m with salinity of 12 dS m-1. The volume of water biodrained by bamboo increased with time and could control water table rises upto 1.09, 1.86, 2.46 and 2.96 m in first, second, third and fourth year of growth, respectively.This study indicates that due to high transpiration capacity and an ability to extract water from deeper layers containing saline groundwater, the trees can control the rise in water table in irrigation command areas and prevent the formation of waterlogged and eventually the saline wastelands.     

The use of the scintillation technique for monitoring seasonal water consumption of olive orchards in a semi-arid region

To monitor seasonal water consumption of agricultural fields at large scale, spatially averaged surface fluxes of sensible heat (H) and latent heat (L_vE) are required. The scintillation method is shown to be a promising device for obtaining the area-averaged sensible heat fluxes, on a scale of up to 10 km. These fluxes, when combined with a simple available energy model, can be used to derive area-averaged latent heat fluxes. For this purpose, a Large Aperture Scintillometer (LAS) was operated continuously for more than one year over a tall and sparse irrigated oliveyard located in south-central Marrakesh (Morocco). Due to the flood irrigation method used in the site, which induces irregular pattern of soil moisture both in space and time, the comparison between scintillometer-based estimates of daily sensible heat flux (H_LAS) and those measured by the classical eddy covariance (EC) method (H_EC) showed a large scatter during the irrigation events, while a good correspondence was found during homogenous conditions (dry conditions and days following the rain events). We found, that combining a simple available energy model and the LAS measurements, the latent heat can be reliably predicted at large scale in spite of the large scatter (R² = 0.72 and RMSE = 18.25 W m⁻²) that is obtained when comparing the LAS against the EC. This scatter is explained by different factors: the difference in terms of the source areas of the LAS and EC, the closure failure of the energy balance of the EC, and the error in available energy estimates. Additionally, the irrigation efficiency was investigated by comparing measured seasonal evapotranspiration values to those recommended by the FAO. It was found that the visual observation of the physical conditions of the plant is not sufficient to efficiently manage the irrigation, a large quantity of water is lost (≈37% of total irrigation). Consequently, the LAS can be considered as a potentially useful tool to monitor the water consumption in complex conditions.