Day and night wind drift and evaporation losses in sprinkler solid-sets and moving laterals

Wind drift and evaporation losses (WDEL) represent a relevant water sink in sprinkler irrigation, particularly in areas with strong winds and high evaporative demand. The objectives of this paper include: (1) characterize WDEL under day and night operation conditions for solid-set and moving lateral configurations; (2) propose adequate predictive equations; and (3) prospect the effect of sprinkler irrigation on the meteorological variables and on the estimates of reference evapotranspiration. A total of 89 catch can irrigation evaluations were performed in both irrigation systems and under day and night conditions. Different predictive equations of WDEL were proposed for combinations of the two irrigation systems and the two operation times. The equations were selected based on their capability to explain and predict WDEL. Most equations use wind speed alone as an independent variable, although some use relative humidity or combinations of both variables plus air temperature. In the semi-arid meteorological conditions of Zaragoza (Spain), the average WDEL for the solid-set were 15.4 and 8.5% during day and night irrigations, respectively. For the experimental moving lateral, losses amounted to 9.8% during the day and 5.0% during the night. The effect of sprinkler irrigation on the meteorological variables was moderate, with small increases in relative humidity (3.9%) and decreases in air temperature (0.5 °C) during the irrigation event and a few minutes afterwards. Consequently, reference evapotranspiration, estimated by the Penman-Monteith method, decreased during the irrigation event by 0.023 mm h⁻¹ on the average. This decrease represents 2.1% of WDEL, suggesting that the WDEL do not significantly contribute to satisfy crop water requirements, and therefore constitute a consumptive water loss.     

Irrigation modernization and water conservation in Spain: The case of Riegos del Alto Aragón

This study analyzes the effects of irrigation modernization on water conservation, using the Riegos del Alto Aragón (RAA) irrigation project (NE Spain, 123354 ha) as a case study. A conceptual approach, based on water accounting and water productivity, has been used. Traditional surface irrigation systems and modern sprinkler systems currently occupy 73% and 27% of the irrigated area, respectively. Virtually all the irrigated area is devoted to field crops. Nowadays, farmers are investing on irrigation modernization by switching from surface to sprinkler irrigation because of the lack of labour and the reduction of net incomes as a consequence of reduction in European subsidies, among other factors. At the RAA project, modern sprinkler systems present higher crop yields and more intense cropping patterns than traditional surface irrigation systems. Crop evapotranspiration and non-beneficial evapotranspiration (mainly wind drift and evaporation loses, WDEL) per unit area are higher in sprinkler irrigated than in surface irrigated areas. Our results indicate that irrigation modernization will increase water depletion and water use. Farmers will achieve higher productivity and better working conditions. Likewise, the expected decreases in RAA irrigation return flows will lead to improvements in the quality of the receiving water bodies. However, water productivity computed over water depletion will not vary with irrigation modernization due to the typical linear relationship between yield and evapotranspiration and to the effect of WDEL on the regional water balance. Future variations in crop and energy prices might change the conclusions on economic productivity.     

Consumptive water use and crop coefficients of irrigated sunflower

In semi-arid environments, the use of irrigation is necessary for sunflower production to reach its maximum potential. The aim of this study was to quantify the consumptive water use and crop coefficients of irrigated sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) without soil water limitations during two growing seasons. The experimental work was conducted in the lysimeter facilities located in Albacete (Central Spain). A weighing lysimeter with an overall resolution of 250 g was used to measure the daily sunflower evapotranspiration throughout the growing season under sprinkler irrigation. The lysimeter container was 2.3 m × 2.7 m × 1.7 m deep, with an approximate total weight of 14.5 Mg. Daily ET _c values were calculated as the difference between lysimeter mass losses and lysimeter mass gains divided by the lysimeter area. In the lysimeter, sprinkler irrigation was applied to replace cumulative ET _c, thus maintaining non-limiting soil water conditions. Seasonal lysimeter ET _c was 619 mm in 2009 and 576 mm in 2011. The higher ET _c value in 2009 was due to earlier planting and a longer growing season with the maximum cover coinciding with the maximum ET _o period. For the two study years, maximum average K _c values reached values of approximately 1.10 and 1.20, respectively, during mid-season stage and coincided with maximum ground cover values of 75 and 88 %, respectively. The dual crop coefficient approach was used to separate crop transpiration (K _cb) from soil evaporation (K _e). As the crop canopy expanded, K _cb values increased while the K _e values decreased. The seasonal evaporation component was estimated to be about 25 % of ET _c. Linear relationships were found between the lysimeter K _cb and the canopy ground cover (f _c) for the each season, and a single relationship that related K _cb to growing degree-days was established allowing extrapolation of our results to other environments.     

Evapotranspiration and crop coefficients of irrigated biomass sorghum for energy production

New cultivars of sorghum for biomass energy production are currently available. This crop has a positive energy balance being irrigation water the largest energy consumer during the growing cycle. Thence, it is important to know the biomass sorghum water requirements, in order to minimize irrigation losses, thus saving water and energy. The objective of this study was to quantify the water use and crop coefficients of irrigated biomass sorghum without soil water limitations during two growing seasons. A weighing lysimeter located in Albacete (Central Spain) was used to measure the daily biomass sorghum evapotranspiration (ET_c) throughout the growing season under sprinkler irrigation. Seasonal lysimeter ET_c was 721 mm in 2007 and 691 mm in 2010. The 4 % higher ET_c value in 2007 was due to an 8 % higher evaporative demand in that year. Maximum average K _c values of 1.17 in 2007 and 1.21 in 2010 were reached during the mid-season stage. The average K _c values for the 2 years of study were K _c-ini: 0.64 and K _c-mid: 1.19. The seasonal evaporation component was estimated to be about 18 % of ET_c. The average basal K _c (K _cb) values for the two study years were K _cb-ini: 0.11 and K _cb-mid: 1.17. The good linear relationship found between K _cb values and the fraction of ground cover (f _c) and the excellent agreement found between Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and different biophysical parameters, such as K _cb and f _c, will allow monitoring and estimating the spatially distributed water requirements of biomass sorghum at field and regional scales.     

Determination of evapotranspiration from an alfalfa crop irrigated with saline waste water from an electrical power plant

Summary Investigations were carried out in 1989 to determine the evapotranspiration (ET) of alfalfa when irrigated with saline waste water coming from the evaporation of fresh water in the cooling towers of Utah Power and Light Company Electrical Power Plant at Huntington in central Utah, U.S.A. The primary goal is to dispose of the waste water from the power plant by irrigation and to maximize salt deposition in the soil, maximize crop ET, minimize runoff from the soil surface, and minimize leaching to the ground water. Using the Bowen ratio-energy balance method, alfalfa evapotranspiration was measured at an experimental site for each 20-minute period during the 1989 irrigation season. Using a simplified seasonal water balance, the results showed that cumulative irrigation plus rain was less than evapotranspiration for the 1989 irrigation season. This means that for the long term in addition to irrigation and precipitation some water was withdrawn from the soil for alfalfa crop water requirements (ET_a). Short term evaluations showed that because of unforeseen heavy rain (thunder showers) in this mountainous area between irrigations, ET_a was occasionally less than irrigation plus rain. This means the excess water was stored in the soil for later use. The average value for ET_a/ET_p (potential ET) for the 1989 irrigation season was 0.47 but occasionally the ratio was greater than unity. Short-term studies (Hanks et al. 1990 a) indicate that yield and ET_a are likely to decrease only slightly for the coming years if saline irrigation water is applied. This method of investigation can be applied to any industrial processes which produce waste water.     

Mapping and assessing water use in a Central Asian irrigation system by utilizing MODIS remote sensing products

Spatial and temporal patterns of water depletion in the irrigated land of Khorezm, a region located in Central Asia in the lower floodplains of the Amu Darya River, were mapped and monitored by means of MODIS land products. Land cover and land use were classified by using a recursive partitioning and regression tree with 250 m MODIS Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series. Seasonal actual evapotranspiration (ET_act) was obtained by applying the Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL) to 1 km daily MODIS data. Elements of the SEBAL based METRIC model (Mapping Evapotranspiration at high Resolution and with Internalized Calibration) were adopted and modified. The upstream–downstream difference in irrigation was reflected by analyzing agricultural land use and amounts of depleted water (ET_act) using Geographical Information Systems (GIS). The validity of the MODIS albedo and emissivity used for modeling ET_act was assessed with data extracted from literature. The r ² value of 0.6 indicated a moderate but significant association between ET_act and class-A-pan evaporation. Deviations of ET_act from the 10-day reference evapotranspiration of wheat and cotton were found to be explainable. In Khorezm, seasonal maximum values superior to 1,200 and 1,000 mm ET_act were estimated for rice and cotton fields, respectively. Spatio-temporal comparisons of agricultural land use with seasonal ET_act disclosed unequal water consumption in Khorezm. Seasonal ET_act on agricultural land decreased with increasing distance to the water intake points of the irrigation system (972–712 mm). Free MODIS data provided reliable, exhaustive, and consistent information on water use relevant for decision support in Central Asian water management.     

Role of transpiration suppression by evaporation of intercepted water in improving irrigation efficiency

Sprinkler irrigation efficiency declines when applied water intercepted by the crop foliage, or gross interception (I_gross), as well as airborne droplets and ponded water at the soil surface evaporate before use by the crop. However, evaporation of applied water can also supply some of the atmospheric demands usually met by plant transpiration. Any suppression of crop transpiration from the irrigated area as compared to a non-irrigated area can be subtracted from I_gross irrigation application losses for a reduced, or net, interception (I_net) loss. This study was conducted to determine the extent in which transpiration suppression due to microclimatic modification resulting from evaporation of plant-intercepted water and/or of applied water can reduce total sprinkler irrigation application losses of impact sprinkler and low energy precision application (LEPA) irrigation systems. Fully irrigated corn (Zea Mays L.) was grown on 0.75 m wide east-west rows in 1990 at Bushland, TX in two contiguous 5-ha fields, each containing a weighing lysimeter and micrometeorological instrumentation. Transpiration (Tr) was measured using heat balance sap flow gauges. During and following an impact sprinkler irrigation, within-canopy vapor pressure deficit and canopy temperature declined sharply due to canopyintercepted water and microclimatic modification from evaporation. For an average day time impact irrigation application of 21 mm, estimated average I_gross loss was 10.7%, but the resulting suppression of measured Tr by 50% or more during the irrigation reduced I_gross loss by 3.9%. On days of high solar radiation, continued transpiration suppression following the irrigation reduced I_gross loss an additional 1.2%. Further 4–6% reductions in I_gross losses were predicted when aerodynamic and canopy resistances were considered. Irrigation water applied only at the soil surface by LEPA irrigation had little effect on the microclimate within the canopy and consequently on Tr or ET, or irrigation application efficiency.     

A model for computing date palm water requirements as affected by salinity

Irrigation of crops in arid regions with marginal water is expanding. Due to economic and environmental issues arising from use of low-quality water, irrigation should follow the actual crop water demands. However, direct measurements of transpiration are scant, and indirect methods are commonly applied; e.g., the Penman–Monteith (PM) equation that integrates physiological and meteorological parameters. In this study, the effects of environmental conditions on canopy resistance and water loss were experimentally characterized, and a model to calculate palm tree evapotranspiration ET_c was developed. A novel addition was to integrate water salinity into the model, thus accounting for irrigation water quality as an additional factor. Palm tree ET_c was affected by irrigation water salinity, and maximum values were reduced by 25 % in plants irrigated with 4 dS m^?1 and by 50 % in the trees irrigated with 8 dS m^?1. Results relating the responses of stomata to the environment exhibited an exponential relation between increased light intensities and stomatal conductance, a surprising positive response of stomata to high vapor pressure deficits and a decrease in conductance as water salinity increased. These findings were integrated into a modified ‘Jarvis–PM’ canopy conductance model using only meteorological and water quality inputs. The new approach produced weekly irrigation recommendations based on field water salinity (2.8 dS m^?1) and climatic forecasts that led to a 20 % decrease in irrigation water use when compared with current irrigation recommendations.     

Crop coefficients for drip-irrigated processing tomato

Drip irrigation of processing tomato is increasing in the San Joaquin Valley of California (USA), a major tomato production area. Efficient management of these irrigation systems requires reasonable estimates of crop evapotranspiration (ET_c) between irrigations. A common approach for estimating ET_c is to multiply a reference crop evapotranspiration (ET_o) by a crop coefficient. However, a review of literature revealed mid-season crop coefficients for processing tomato to range from 1.05 to 1.25. Because of this variability, uncertainty exists in the crop coefficients appropriate for drip irrigation in the San Joaquin Valley. Thus, a study was initiated to determine the ET_c of processing tomato for drip irrigation in commercial fields and then calculate crop coefficients from the ET_c and ET_o data for the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. Crop ET_c was determined at five locations using the Bowen Ratio Energy Balance Method (BREB). Canopy coverage was also measured using a digital infrared camera. Average crop coefficients ranged from about 0.19 at 10% canopy coverage to 1.08 for canopy coverage exceeding about 90%. A second order regression equation reasonably described a relationship between crop coefficient and canopy coverage. Generic curves describing crop coefficient versus time of year were developed for various planting times.     

Net irrigation requirements for Florida turfgrasses

A long-term (30 year) historical analysis of turfgrass monthly net irrigation requirements for southeast USA is analyzed and discussed in this paper. The process involved gathering weather data for ten locations in Florida plus one in Alabama, from 1980 through 2009, and data quality. Available weather data included maximum and minimum temperature, maximum and minimum relative humidity, wind speed, and rainfall. Solar radiation was estimated using the Hargreaves–Samani equation, and coefficients were calibrated for every location. Reference evapotranspiration (ET_os) was calculated using the ASCE-EWRI standardized reference evapotranspiration equation. Net irrigation was estimated using a daily soil–water balance. Variability in soil types and root depth was taken into account during the simulations, and three sets of monthly K _c values from the literature were applied from north through south Florida. Results showed that the calibrated Hargreaves–Samani adjustment coefficients varied from 0.14 in Tallahassee to 0.24 in Key West, with an inland average value of 0.15, and a coastal average value of 0.18. The calculated ET_os ranged from 1,296 mm year^?1 in Tallahassee to 1,658 mm year^?1 in Miami. The estimated net irrigation ranged from 423 mm year^?1 in Mobile, AL, to 1,063 mm year^?1 in Key West, FL. The number of irrigation events per year varied from 25 in Mobile to 161 in Key West. May and December were the months with the highest and lowest net irrigation requirements, respectively.     

The dual crop coefficient approach to estimate and partitioning evapotranspiration of the winter wheat–summer maize crop sequence in North China Plain

An accurate estimation of crop evapotranspiration (ET _c) is very useful for appropriate water management; hence, an accurate and user-friendly model is needed to support related irrigation decisions. In this view, a study was developed aimed at estimating the ET _c of winter wheat–summer maize crop sequence in the North China through eddy covariance measurements, to calibrate and validate the SIMDualKc model, to estimate the basal crop coefficients (K _cb) for both crops and to partition ET _c into soil evaporation and crop transpiration. Two years of field experimentation of that crop sequence were used to calibrate and validate the SIMDualKc model and to derive K _cb using eddy covariance measurements. Various indicators have shown the goodness of fit of the model, with estimated values very close to the observed ones and estimate errors close to 0.5 mm d^?1. The initial, mid-season and end basal crop coefficients for wheat were 0.25, 1.15 and 0.30, respectively, and those for maize were 0.15, 1.15 and 0.45, thus close to those proposed in FAO56 guidelines. The soil evaporation represented near 80 % of ET _c for the initial stages of winter wheat and summer maize and decreased to only 5–6 % during the mid-season period. Evaporation during the full crop season averaged 28 % for winter wheat and 40 % for summer maize. The importance of wetting frequency and crop ground coverage in controlling soil evaporation was evidenced.     

Trickle and sprinkler irrigation of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) in the Middle Anatolian Region in Turkey

The potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is widely planted in the Middle Anatolian Region, especially in the Nigde-Nevsehir district where 25% of the total potato growing area is located and produces 44% of the total yield. In recent years, the farmers in the Nigde-Nevsehir district have been applying high amounts of nitrogen (N) fertilizers (sometimes more than 900 kg N ha⁻¹) and frequent irrigation at high rates in order to get a much higher yield. This situation results in increased irrigation and fertilization costs as well as polluted ground water resources and soil. Thus, it is critical to know the water and nitrogen requirements of the crop, as well as how to improve irrigation efficiency. Field experiments were conducted in the Nigde-Nevsehir (arid) region on a Fluvents (Entisols) soil to determine water and nitrogen requirements of potato crops under sprinkler and trickle irrigation methods. Irrigation treatments were based on Class A pan evaporation and nitrogen levels were formed with different nitrogen concentrations.The highest yield, averaging 47,505 kg ha⁻¹, was measured in sprinkler-irrigated plots at the 60 g m⁻³ nitrogen concentration level in the irrigation treatment with limited irrigation (480 mm). Statistically higher tuber yields were obtained at the 45 and 60 g m⁻³ nitrogen concentration levels in irrigation treatments with full and limited irrigation. Maximum yields were obtained with about 17% less water in the sprinkler method as compared to the trickle method (not statistically significant). On the loam and sandy loam soils, tuber yields were reduced by deficit irrigation corresponding to 70% and 74% of evapotranspiration in sprinkler and trickle irrigations, respectively. Water use of the potato crop ranged from 490 to 760 mm for sprinkler-irrigated plots and 565–830 mm for trickle-irrigated treatments. The highest water use efficiency (WUE) levels of 7.37 and 4.79 kg m⁻³ were obtained in sprinkle and trickle irrigated plots, respectively. There were inverse effects of irrigation and nitrogen levels on the WUE of the potato crops. Significant linear relationships were found between tuber yield and water use for both irrigation methods. Yield response factors were calculated at 1.05 for sprinkler methods and 0.68 for trickle methods. There were statistically significant linear and polynomial relationships between tuber yield and nitrogen amounts used in trickle and sprinkler-irrigated treatments, respectively. In sprinkler-irrigated treatments, the maximum tuber yield was obtained with 199 kg N ha⁻¹. The tuber cumulative nitrogen use efficiency (NUE_cu) and incremental nitrogen use efficiency (NUE_in) were affected quite differently by water, nitrogen levels and years. NUE_cu varied from 16 to 472 g kg⁻¹ and NUE_in varied from 75 to 1035 g kg⁻¹ depending on the irrigation method. In both years, the NH₄-N concentrations were lower than NO₃-N, and thus the removed nitrogen and nitrogen losses were found to be 19–87 kg ha⁻¹ for sprinkler methods and 25–89 kg ha⁻¹ for trickle methods. Nitrogen losses in sprinkler methods reached 76%, which were higher than losses in trickle methods.     

Determination of the crop coefficient for grafted ‘Tahiti’ lime trees and soil evaporation coefficient of Rhodic Kandiudalf clay soil in Sao Paulo,Brazil

The expansion of permanent trickle irrigation systems in Sao Paulo (Brazil) citrus has changed the focus of irrigation scheduling from determining irrigation timing to quantifying irrigation amounts. The water requirements of citrus orchards are difficult to estimate, since they are influenced by heterogeneous factors such as age, planting density and irrigation system. In this study, we estimated the water requirements of young ‘Tahiti’ lime orchards, considering the independent contributions from soil evaporation and crop transpiration by splitting the crop coefficient (Kc = ETc/ETo) into two separate coefficients; Ke, a soil evaporation coefficient and Kcb, a crop transpiration coefficient. Hence, the water requirement in young ‘Tahiti’ lime (ET_y) is ET_y = (Ke + Kcb) · ETo, where ETo is the reference crop evapotranspiration. Mature tree water requirement (ET_m) is ET_m = Kcb · ETo, assuming no soil water evaporation. Two lysimeters were used; one was 1.6 m in diameter and 0.7 m deep, and the other was 2.7 m in diameter and 0.8-m deep. The first one was used to calculate evaporation and the second one was used for transpiration. ETo was estimated by the Penman–Monteith method (FAO-56). The measurements were conducted during a period between August 2002 and April 2005 in Piracicaba, Sao Paulo state, Brazil. The lysimeters were installed at the center of a 1.0-ha plot planted with ‘Tahiti’ lime trees grafted on ‘Swingle’ citrumelo rootstock. The trees were 1-year old at planting, spaced 7 × 4 m, and were irrigated by a drip irrigation system. During the study period, Kc varied between 0.6 and 1.22, and Kcb varied between 0.4 and 1.0. The results suggested that for young lime trees, the volume of water per tree calculated by Ke + Kcb is about 80% higher than the volume calculated using Kc. For mature trees, the volume of water per tree calculated using just Kcb can be 10% less than using Kc. The independent influence of soil evaporation and transpiration is important to better understand the water consumption of young lime trees during growth compared to mature lime trees.     

Irrigation scheduling of plastic greenhouse vegetable crops based on historical weather data

Irrigation scheduling based on the daily historical crop evapotranspiration (ET_h) data was theoretically and experimentally assessed for the major soil-grown greenhouse horticultural crops on the Almería coast in order to improve irrigation efficiency. Overall, the simulated seasonal ET_h values for different crop cycles from 41 greenhouses were not significantly different from the corresponding values of real-time crop evapotranspiration (ET_c). Additionally, for the main greenhouse crops on the Almería coast, the simulated values of the maximum cumulative soil water deficit in each of the 15 consecutive growth cycles (1988–2002) were determined using simple soil-water balances comparing daily ET_h and ET_c values to schedule irrigation. In most cases, no soil-water deficits affecting greenhouse crop productivity were detected, but the few cases found led us to also assess experimentally the use of ET_h for irrigation scheduling of greenhouse horticultural crops. The response of five greenhouse crops to water applications scheduled with daily estimates of ET_h and ET_c was evaluated in a typical enarenado soil. In tomato, fruit yield did not differ statistically between irrigation treatments, but the spring green bean irrigated using the ET_h data presented lower yield than that irrigated using the ET_c data. In the remaining experiments, the irrigation-management method based on ET_h data was modified to consider the standard deviation of the inter-annual greenhouse reference ET. No differences between irrigation treatments were found for productivity of pepper, zucchini and melon crops.     

Implementing irrigation: Water balances and irrigation quality in the Lerma basin (Spain)

The growing necessity to develop more productive agriculture has encouraged the expansion of new irrigated lands. However, water use in agriculture may affect the natural regimes of water systems. This study aims to analyze, for the first time, water use and its dynamics during the creation of a newly irrigated land. Water use was studied through the development of water balances and subsequent application of quality indices for irrigation in two unirrigated years (2004–2005) and three years of gradual implementation of irrigation (2006, 2007 and 2008) in the Lerma basin (752 ha, Spain). Increases in evapotranspiration, drainage and water content in the aquifer were verified during the gradual transformation into irrigated land. Water balances closed adequately, giving consistency to the results and enabling the application of quality indices for irrigation. Irrigation quality analysis showed a use of available water resources equal to 84%. However, the estimated irrigation efficiency presented lower values, mainly due to irrigation drainage (15%) and combined losses by both evaporation and wind drift of sprinkler irrigation systems (13%). The results indicate that the use of water in the Lerma basin is at the same management level of other modern irrigation systems in the Ebro basin, although there is still margin for improvement in irrigation management, such as reducing the irrigation drainage fraction and the evaporation and wind drift losses of sprinkler irrigation systems.     

Time trend in reference evapotranspiration: analysis of a long series of agrometeorological measurements in Southern Italy

This study aims to evaluate the potential effects of the climatic variations on the reference evapotranspiration (ET₀) and, consequently, on the crop water requirements in the Apulian Tavoliere, one of the largest irrigated districts of Southern Italy. To reach this purpose, both climatic parameters (air temperature and rainfall) and estimated water requirements of ??processing?? tomato (among the most representative irrigated crops in the district since the mid-1970s and, therefore, chosen as a study-case) were analyzed in order to find out if a time trend exists or does not. The analysis covered the period from 1957 to 2008. The analysis showed that the rainfall amounts decreased (?3.4 mm per year in the analyzed period), while air temperature increased (0.18 °C and 0.25?°C per decade for minimum and maximum, respectively). As a consequence of the climatic variation during the considered period, a growth trend of the ET₀ (1.4 mm per year) and water deficit (3.2 mm per year) took place. As a consequence, the water amounts for irrigating the same crop in the considered period were growing. This increased consumption is in agreement with the perception of the farmers of the district but never documented. Through the FAO AquaCrop model, the tomato irrigation water requirements have been simulated during the considered period. The trend analysis of the seasonal evapotranspiration values simulated in 52 years confirmed the increase in tomato water requirements (0.7 mm per year).     

Water requirements of olive orchards: I simulation of daily evapotranspiration for scenario analysis

Water requirements of olive orchards are difficult to calculate, since they are influenced by heterogeneous factors such as age, planting density and irrigation systems. Here we propose a model of olive water requirements, capable of separately calculating transpiration (E _p), intercepted rainfall evaporation (E _pd) and soil evaporation (E _s) from the wet and dry fraction of the soil surface under localized irrigation. The model accounts for the effects of canopy dimension on E _p and of the wetted soil surface fraction on E _s. The model was tested against actual measurements of olive evapotranspiration (ET) obtained by the eddy covariance technique in a developing olive orchard during 3 years. The predicted ET and crop coefficients showed good agreement with the measured data. The model was then used to simulate the average water requirements of two mature orchards using 20-year meteorological datasets of Cordoba (Spain) and Fresno (CA, USA). Average annual ET of a 300 trees ha⁻¹ orchard at Cordoba was 1,025 mm, while the same orchard at Fresno had an average ET of 927 mm. Transpiration losses were 602 mm at Cordoba and 612 mm at Fresno. Evaporation from the soil can have a large effect on olive ET; thus, olive crop coefficients (K _c) are very sensitive to the rainfall regime.     

Irrigation planning in cotton through simulation modeling

Experiments were undertaken at CCS Haryana Agricultural University Farm, Sirsa (India) to estimate the optimum irrigation schedule for cotton resulting in minimum percolation losses. The sprinkler line source technique was adopted for creating various irrigation regimes at different crop growth stages. The SWASALT (Simulation of Water And SALT) model after calibration and validation provided water balance components. The wa-ter management response indicators (WMRI's) such as transpiration efficiency E_t/(Irr + P), relative transpiration E_t/E_tp, evapotranspiration efficiency ET/(Irr + P), soil moisture storage change ΔW/W_int (deficit/excess) and percolation loss Perc/(Irr. + P) were evaluated using water balance components as estimated by the simulation study. Under limited water supply conditions, the optimum irrigation depth was found to be 57 mm at crop growth stages with pre-sowing and 1^st irrigation of 120 mm and 80 mm respectively for sandy clay loam underlain by sandy loam soil (Type I). The corresponding values of relative transpiration, transpiration efficiency and evapotranspiration efficiency were 0.65, 0.65 and 0.89 respectively. The crop yield varied linearly with increasing irrigation depth which was evident from increase in relative transpiration with increasing depth of water application. However, increased depth of irrigation resulted in less moisture utilisation from soil storage (20% depletion at 40 mm depth and 4.4% moisture built up at 100 mm depth). The extended simulation study for sandy soil underlain by loamy sand (Type II) indicated that two pre-sowing irrigations each 40 mm and subsequent irrigations of 40 mm at an interval of 20 days depending upon rainfall were optimum. This irrigation scenario resulted in zero percolation loss accompanied by 74% relative transpiration and 14 per cent soil moisture depletion. Received: 20 November 1995     

Optimization of groundwater abstraction system and distribution pipe in pressurized irrigation systems for minimum cost

A tool named DOPIR (Dimensioning Of Pressurized IRrigation) was developed to optimize the process of water abstraction from an aquifer for pressurized irrigation systems. This tool integrates the main factors throughout the irrigation process, from the water source to the emitter. The objective is to minimize the total cost of water abstraction and application (C _T) (investment (C _a) + operation (C _op) per unit of irrigated area according to the type of aquifer, crop water requirement and electricity rate periods. To highlight the usefulness of this tool, DOPIR has been applied to a corn crop in Spain with a permanent sprinkler irrigation system, considering two types of aquifer: confined and unconfined. The effects of parameters such as the static water table in the aquifer (SWT), irrigated area (S), number of subunits in the plot (NS), sprinkler and lateral pipe spacing, and average application rate (ARa) on C _T have been analyzed. Results show that energy cost (C _e) is the most important component of C _T (50–72 % in the case studies). Thus, it is very important to adapt the design and management of the irrigation and pumping system throughout the irrigation season to the energy rate periods.     

Evapotranspiration predictions: a comparison among GLEAMS,Opus, PRZM-2, and RZWQM models in a humid and thermic climate

Environmental fate models are increasingly used to evaluate potential impacts of agrochemicals on water quality to aid in decision making. However, errors in predicting processes like evapotranspiration (ET), which is rarely measured during model validation studies, can significantly affect predictions of chemical fate and transport. This study compared approaches and predictions for ET by GLEAMS, Opus, PRZM-2, and RZWQM and determined effects of the predicted ET on simulations of other hydrology components. The ET was investigated for 2 years of various fallow–corn growing seasons under sprinkler irrigation. The comparison included annual cumulative daily potential ET (ET_p), actual ET, and partitioning of total ET between soil evaporation (E_s) and crop transpiration (E_t). When measured pan evaporation was used for calculating ET_p (the pan evaporation method), Opus, PRZM-2, and RZWQM predicted 74, 65, and 59%, respectively, of the 10-year average ET reported for a nearby site. When the energy-balance equations were used for calculating ET_p (the combination methods), GLEAMS, Opus, PRZM-2, and RZWQM predicted 84, 105, 60, and 72% of the reported ET, respectively. The pan evaporation method predicted a similar amount of ET to the combination methods for bare soil, but predicted less ET when both E_s and E_t occurred. RZWQM reasonably predicted partitioning of ET to E_s, while GLEAMS and Opus over-predicted this partitioning. A close correlation between soil water storage in the root zone and ET suggests that accurate soil water content predictions were fundamental to ET predictions. ©