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Chapter 3 (CWR)
Chapter 3 (CWR)
Evaporation
Evaporation is the process whereby liquid water is converted to water vapour (vaporization)
and removed from the evaporating surface (vapour removal). Water evaporates from a
variety of surfaces, such as lakes, rivers, pavements, soils and wet vegetation.
Energy is required to change the state of the molecules of water from liquid to vapour. Direct
solar radiation and, to a lesser extent, the ambient temperature of the air provide this
energy. The driving force to remove water vapour from the evaporating surface is the
difference between the water vapour pressure at the evaporating surface and that of the
surrounding atmosphere. As evaporation proceeds, the surrounding air becomes gradually
saturated and the process will slow down and might stop if the wet air is not transferred to
the atmosphere. The replacement of the saturated air with drier air depends greatly on wind
speed. Hence, solar radiation, air temperature, air humidity and wind speed are
climatological parameters to consider when assessing the evaporation process.
FIGURE 1. The partitioning of evapotranspiration into evaporation and transpiration over the
growing period for an annual field crop
Transpiration
Transpiration consists of the vaporization of liquid water contained in plant tissues and the
vapour removal to the atmosphere. Crops predominately lose their water through stomata.
These are small openings on the plant leaf through which gases and water vapour pass.
The water, together with some nutrients, is taken up by the roots and transported through
the plant. The vaporization occurs within the leaf, namely in the intercellular spaces, and the
vapour exchange with the atmosphere is controlled by the stomatal aperture. Nearly all
water taken up is lost by transpiration and only a tiny fraction is used within the plant.
Transpiration, like direct evaporation, depends on the energy supply, vapour pressure
gradient and wind. Hence, radiation, air temperature, air humidity and wind terms should be
considered when assessing transpiration. The soil water content and the ability of the soil to
conduct water to the roots also determine the transpiration rate, as do water logging and soil
water salinity. The transpiration rate is also influenced by crop characteristics, environmental
aspects and cultivation practices.
Evapotranspiration (ET)
Weather parameters
Crop factors
The crop type, variety and development stage should be considered when assessing the
evapotranspiration from crops grown in large, well-managed fields. Differences in resistance
to transpiration, crop height, crop roughness, reflection, ground cover and crop rooting
characteristics result in different ET levels in different types of crops under identical
environmental conditions. Crop evapotranspiration under standard conditions (ETc) refers to
the evaporating demand from crops that are grown in large fields under optimum soil water,
excellent management and environmental conditions, and achieve full production under the
given climatic conditions.
Evapotranspiration concepts
Distinctions are made (Figure 3) between reference crop evapotranspiration (ET o), crop
evapotranspiration under standard conditions (ETc) and crop evapotranspiration under non-
standard conditions (ETc adj). ETo is a climatic parameter expressing the evaporation power
of the atmosphere. ETc refers to the evapotranspiration from excellently managed, large,
well-watered fields that achieve full production under the given climatic conditions. Due to
sub-optimal crop management and environmental constraints that affect crop growth and
limit evapotranspiration, ETc under non-standard conditions generally requires a correction.
FIGURE 3. Reference (ETo), crop evapotranspiration under standard (ETc) and non-
standard conditions (ETc adj)
The only factors affecting ETo are climatic parameters. Consequently, ET o is a climatic
parameter and can be computed from weather data. ET o expresses the evaporating power
of the atmosphere at a specific location and time of the year and does not consider the crop
characteristics and soil factors.
ET measurement
Evapotranspiration is not easy to measure. Specific devices and accurate measurements of
various physical parameters or the soil water balance in lysimeters are required to
determine evapotranspiration. Although the methods are inappropriate for routine
measurements, they remain important for the evaluation of ET estimates obtained by more
indirect methods.
A) Lysimeter experiment:
By isolating the crop root zone from its environment and controlling the processes that are
difficult to measure, the different terms in the soil water balance equation can be determined
with greater accuracy. This is done in lysimeters where the crop grows in isolated tanks filled
with either disturbed or undisturbed soil. In precision weighing lysimeters, where the water
loss is directly measured by the change of mass, evapotranspiration can be obtained with
an accuracy of a few hundredths of a millimeter, and small time periods such as an hour can
be considered. In non-weighing lysimeters the evapotranspiration for a given time period is
determined by deducting the drainage water, collected at the bottom of the lysimeters, from
the total water input.
A requirement of lysimeters is that the vegetation both inside and immediately outside of the
lysimeter be perfectly matched (same height and leaf area index). This requirement has
historically not been closely adhered to in a majority of lysimeter studies and has resulted in
severely erroneous and unrepresentative ETc and Kc data.
In this method soil moisture measurements are done before and after each irrigation
application. Knowing the time gap b/n the two consecutive irrigations, the quantity of water
extracted per day can be computed by dividing the total moisture depletion b/n the two
successive irrigations by the interval of irrigation. Then a curve is drawn by plotting the rate
of use of water against the time from this curve, seasonal water use of crops is determined.
Evapotranspiration can also be determined by measuring the various components of the soil
water balance. The method consists of assessing the incoming and outgoing water flux into
the crop root zone over some time period (Figure 4). Irrigation (I) and rainfall (P) add water
to the root zone. Part of I and P might be lost by surface runoff (RO) and by deep
percolation (DP) that will eventually recharge the water table. Water might also be
transported upward by capillary rise (CR) from a shallow water table towards the root zone
or even transferred horizontally by subsurface flow in (SF in) or out of (SFout) the root zone. In
many situations, however, except under conditions with large slopes, SFin and SFout are
minor and can be ignored. Soil evaporation and crop transpiration deplete water from the
root zone. If all fluxes other than evapotranspiration (ET) can be assessed, the
evapotranspiration can be deduced from the change in soil water content ( SW) over the
time period:
ET = I + P - RO - DP + CR ± SF ± SW (2)
Some fluxes such as subsurface flow, deep percolation and capillary rise from a water table
are difficult to assess and short time periods cannot be considered. The soil water balance
method can usually only give ET estimates over long time periods of the order of week-long
or ten-day periods.
1.514
Tm
In (7) Te
5
3.2.1 FAO Balney-Criddle Method
Blaney and Criddle (1962) proposed an empirical relation which is used largely by
irrigation engineers to calculate crop water requirement of various crops. Estimation
of potential evapotranspiration (consumptive use) is carried out by correlating it with
ETo K .F ...3.11
Where: F (0.0457Tm 0.8128) P ...3.2
Here K is the monthly crop coefficient to be determined from experimental data, F
the monthly consumptive use factor, ETo the potential evapotranspiration in cm; Tm
the mean monthly temperature in 0C, P is the monthly percentage of hours of bright
sunshine in the year (table-3.1).
Example Problem 3.1: Use Blaney-Criddle method to calculate
consumptive use (PET) for rice crop grown from January to March (Dalua
Rabi crop) in Orissa at a latitude 22 0 N from the following data taken from
a nearby observatory. Find the net irrigation demand for rice using the
given rainfall during crop period.
Month January February March
Mean temperature 0C 12 16 24
Rainfall (mm) 8 20 16
Solution
For rice crop, monthly crop coefficient K of equation (3.1) may be taken as 1.10.
Mean monthly sunshine hours for latitude of 22 0N for the months of January,
February and March are obtained form Table-3.1 and tabulated below.
1
This equation is used to determine the seasonal crop evapotranspiration
Table: Blaney-Criddle Method of Computation of Consumptive use of Rice Crop for the
example above:
For any month considered the ETo can be calculated by the following equation and
by the help of figure- below.
ET0 = C P (0.46T + 8) ...3.3
Where the parameters are as defined in previous section.
Figure 3.5 can be used to estimate ETo using calculated values of p(0.46T+8) for
i) three levels of minimum humidity (RH min)
ii) three levels of the ratio of actual to maximum possible sunshine hours (n/N)
and
iii) three ranges of daytime wind conditions at 2m height (U day).
Note:
Minimum humidity refers to minimum daytime humidity
Wind refers to daytime wind. Generally Uday/Unight =2 and mean 24 hr wind data
should be multiplied by 1.33 to obtain mean daytime wind.
Example Problem 3.2:
Given: Cairo, Egypt,: latitude 300N, altitude 95m, month July.
Calculation:
Tmax = Tmax daily values/31 350c.
Tmin = Tmin daily values/31 220c.
Tdaily mean = Tmean/31 or [(Tmax/31) +(Tmin/31)]/2 28.50c
P (from table for 300N) 0.31
P(0.46T+8) = 0.31(0.46*28.5 +8) 6.6mm/day
RH min (from climates of Africa) medium
n/N (from climates of Africa) high to medium
U2 day time (from climates of Africa) moderate
ETo Fig. 3.5 8.0 mm/day
Figure 3.5: ETo determination from Blanney Criddle's F factor for different condition of
relative humidity, sunshine duration and day-time wind
1
Effective rainfall=80%(Rainfall given in table)
where
ETo reference evapotranspiration [mm/day],
Kp pan coefficient [-],
Epan pan evaporation [mm/day].
humidity conditions, should be checked. Two cases are commonly considered: Case A
where the pan is sat on a short green (grass) cover and surrounded by fallow soil; and Case
B where the pan is sat on fallow soil and surrounded by a green crop (Figure 3.6).
FIGURE 3.6. Two cases of evaporation pan sitting and their environment
1
Is sometimes also called 'Modified' Penman Method
Equation (3.15) is known as (1/7) th power law. Knowing all other data from the table
and measuring n, ea u2, at the place, ETo can easily be calculated from the relation
given by Penman. This method is finding its increasing application for crop water
estimation by various countries.
Table 3.5: Mean daily maximum duration of bright sunshine hour N for different month and
latitudes (Doorenbos & Pruitt, 1977)
N Lat Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
S Lat July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May June
50 8.5 10.1 11.8 13.6 15.4 16.3 15.9 14.5 12.7 10.8 9.1 8.1
48 8.8 10.2 11.8 13.8 15.2 16.0 15.6 14.3 12.6 10.9 9.3 8.3
46 9.1 10.4 11.9 13.5 14.9 15.7 15.4 14.2 12.6 10.9 9.5 8.7
44 9.3 10.5 11.9 13.4 14.7 15.4 15.2 14.0 12.6 11.0 9.7 8.9
42 9.4 10.6 11.9 13.4 14.6 15.2 14.9 13.9 12.9 11.1 9.8 9.1
40 9.6 10.7 11.9 13.3 14.4 15.0 14.7 13.7 12.5 11.2 10.0 9.3
35 10.1 11.0 11.9 13.1 14.0 14.5 14.3 13.5 12.4 11.3 10.3 9.8
30 10.4 11.1 12.0 12.9 13.6 14.0 13.9 13.2 12.4 11.5 10.6 10.2
25 10.7 11.3 12.0 12.7 13.3 13.7 13.5 13.0 12.3 11.6 10.9 10.6
20 10.0 11.5 12.0 12.6 13.1 13.3 13.2 12.8 12.3 11.7 11.2 10.9
15 11.3 11.6 12.0 12.5 12.8 13.0 12.9 12.6 12.2 11.8 11.4 11.2
10 11.6 11.8 12.0 12.3 12.6 12.7 12.6 12.4 12.1 11.8 11.6 11.5
5 11.8 11.9 12.0 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.3 12.3 12.1 12.0 11.9 11.8
0 12.1 12.1 12.1 12.1 12.1 12.1 12.1 12.1 12.1 12.1 12.1 12.1
Table 3.6: Mean Monthly Solar Radiation Incident on Earth's Outer Space (Extra Terrestrial
Radiation) in mm of Evaporable Water per day.
Example problem 3.5: Using Penman’s formula calculate the consumptive use of rice
for the month of February. Take the following data
Wind velocity measured at 2 m height = 30 km/day
Elevation of the area = 220 m
Relative humidity for February = 50%
Latitude = 220N
Mean monthly temperature = 160C
Solution
From Table 3.4, for temperature of 160C, es = 13.67 mmHg
Slope of the saturated vapour pressure vs. temp. curve A = 0.86 mm per 0C
From Table 3.6, Ha = 11.94 mm of water per day for 22 0N latitude
From Table 3.5, N = 11.42 h for the latitude of 22 0N
Monthly percentage of day time hours = 7.20 h (from Table 3.1)
n 7.2
0.63
N 11 .42
vapour pressure in air ea = es x RH = 13.67 x 0.50 = 6.88 mmHg
Drying power of air Ea = 0.002187 (160 + U2) (es – ea)
= 0.0021817 (160 + 30) (13.67 – 6.88) = 2.84 mm/day
The reflection coefficient for close crop like paddy is 0.20.
0.49, 2.01 x 10 9 mm / day, Ta 273 16 289 0 K
Take
H H a (1 r ) (0.29 cos 0.55n / N )
Ta4 (0.56 0.0092 ea ) (0.1 0.9 n / N
Or H = 11.94 (1-0.2) (0.29 cos 220 + 0.55x 7.2/11.42) - 2.01 x 10-9 x 2894 (0.56 –
0.092√6.88) x (0.1 + 0.9 x 7.2/11.42)
= 11.94 x 0.8 x (0.269 + 0.347) – 14.02 (0.56 – 0.24) (0.1 + 0.568)
= 5.88 – 3.00 = 2.88 mm of water/day
H E a 0386 2.88 0.49 2.84
ETo 2.865 mm / day
0.86 0.49
= 2.865 28 1/10 cm/month = 8.03 cm for February Consumptive use of rice for
February is 8.03 cm = 80.3 mm of water.
The above calculations are made for a month of 30 days and for each day 12 h of
evapotranspiration is considered. Since the two factors vary from 28 to 31 days and
with latitude, the values of 12 h a day is not constant, it can be multiplied with factors
from Table 3.7 depending on the month and latitude of the place.
Table 3.7: Reduction Factor Rf for ETo to be used in Thornthwiate's equation.
Month
Latitude J F M A M J J A S O N D
00N 1.04 0.94 1.04 1.01 1.04 1.01 1.04 1.04 1.01 1.04 1.01 1.04
100N 1.00 0.91 1.03 1.03 1.08 1.06 1.08 1.07 1.02 1.02 0.98 0.99
200N 0.95 0.90 1.03 1.05 1.13 1.11 1.14 1.11 1.02 1.00 0.93 0.94
300N 0.90 0.87 1.03 1.08 1.18 1.17 1.20 1.14 1.03 0.98 0.89 0.88
400N 0.84 0.83 1.03 1.11 1.24 1.25 1.27 1.18 1.04 0.96 0.83 0.81
500N 0.74 0.78 1.02 1.15 1.33 1.36 1.37 1.25 1.00 0.92 0.76 0.70
Example problem 3.6: Using Thornthwaite equation, calculate the consumptive use of
paddy for the month of February. Take data from Example 3.5 above.
Solution
Since ETo is required to be calculated for February only, the following equation is
used.
1.514 1.514
T 16
Te m 5.818
5 5
a = 0.4923 + 0.01792 x 5.818 – 0.0000771 x 5.818 2 + …
= 0.4923 + 0.1043 – 0.0026 = 0.594
From the original Penman-Monteith equation and the equations of the aerodynamic
and canopy resistance, the FAO Penman-Monteith equation has been given by:
...3.20
The FAO Penman method was found to frequently overestimate ET o while the other
FAO recommended equations, namely the radiation, the Blaney-Criddle, and the
pan evaporation methods, showed variable adherence to the grass reference crop
evapotranspiration. As a result, the FAO Penman-Monteith method is recommended
as the sole method for determining reference evapotranspiration. The method has
been selected because it closely approximates grass ETo at the location evaluated,
is physically based, and explicitly incorporates both physiological and aerodynamic
parameters. Moreover, procedures have been developed for estimating missing
climatic parameters.
1
Procedural steps for calculating ETo by this method are given in detail in FAO Irrigation and
Drainage Paper-56 (New Version of FAO-24)
Where D = in ha/cumec
= in m
B = in days
Volume (ha m)
Delta = ,m … 3.26
Area ( ha )
Delta is the quantity of water actually supplied to the crop. Delta included not only
consumptive use of water for a crop but also the water lost by evapotranspiration and
seepage from canals, and deep percolation in the field.
Duty of water varies from head regulator to the canal out let because of various losses.
The duty of water goes on increasing as the water flows from the head to the tail of the
canal system. Thus, in order to specify duty two things must be stated clearly: Base of duty
and position of measurement of duty.
Solution:
o Discharge at field= 0.7*15=10.5 cumecs
o Irrigated area=1800 * 10.5= 18,900ha
EXAMPLE PROBLEM 3.8 The base period, duty of water and area under irrigation
for various crops under a canal system are given in the table below. If the losses in
the reservoir and canals are respectively 15%, 25%, determine the reservoir
capacity.
This part examines crop evapotranspiration under standard conditions (ET c). This is
the evapotranspiration from disease-free, well-fertilized crops, grown in large fields,
under optimum soil water conditions and achieving full production under the given
climatic conditions.
Two calculation approaches are outlined: the single and the dual crop coefficient
approach. In the single crop coefficient approach, the difference in
evapotranspiration between the cropped and reference grass is combined into one
single coefficient. In the dual crop coefficient approach, the crop coefficient is
split into two factors describing separately the differences in evaporation and
transpiration between the crop and reference surface.
The single crop coefficient approach is used for most applications related to
irrigation planning, design, and management.
The crop evapotranspiration differs distinctly from the reference evapotranspiration
(ETo) as the ground cover, canopy properties and aerodynamic resistance of the
crop are different from grass.
The effects of characteristics that distinguish field crops from grass are integrated
into the crop coefficient (Kc). In the crop coefficient approach, crop
evapotranspiration is calculated by multiplying ETo by Kc.
Most of the effects of the various weather conditions are incorporated into the ETo
estimate. Therefore, as ETo represents an index of climatic demand, Kc varies
predominately with the specific crop characteristics and only to a limited extent with
climate.
The crop coefficient, Kc, is basically the ratio of the crop ETc to the reference ETo,
and it represents an integration of the effects of four primary characteristics that
distinguish the crop from reference grass. These characteristics are:
Crop height
Albedo (reflectance) of the crop-soil surface
Canopy resistance
Evaporation from soil
Climate
The effect of the difference in aerodynamic properties between the grass reference
surface and agricultural crops is not only crop specific. It also varies with the climatic
conditions and crop height. Because aerodynamic properties are greater for many
agricultural crops as compared to the grass reference, the ratio of ETc to ETo (i.e.,
Kc) for many crops increases as wind speed increases and as relative humidity
decreases. More arid climates and conditions of greater wind speed will have higher
values for Kc. More humid climates and conditions of lower wind speed will have
lower values for Kc.
Soil evaporation
Differences in soil evaporation and crop transpiration between field crops and the
reference surface are integrated within the crop coefficient. The Kc coefficient for
full-cover crops primarily reflects differences in transpiration as the contribution of
soil evaporation is relatively small. After rainfall or irrigation, the effect of evaporation
is predominant when the crop is small and scarcely shades the ground. For such
low-cover conditions, the Kc coefficient is determined largely by the frequency with
which the soil surface is wetted. Where the soil is wet for most of the time from
irrigation or rain, the evaporation from the soil surface will be considerable and Kc
may exceed 1. On the other hand, where the soil surface is dry, evaporation is
restricted and Kc will be small and might even drop to as low as 0.1 (figure 3.8)
FIGURE 3.8. The effect of evaporation on Kc. The horizontal line represents Kc when the
soil surface is kept continuously wet. The curved line corresponds to Kc when the soil
surface is kept dry but the crop receives sufficient water to sustain full transpiration.
Initial stage
The initial stage runs from planting date to approximately 10% ground cover.
Crop development stage
The crop development stage runs from 10% ground cover to effective full cover.
Effective full cover for many crops occurs at the initiation of flowering.
Mid-season stage
The mid-season stage runs from effective full cover to the start of maturity. The start
of maturity is often indicated by the beginning of the ageing,
Late season stage
The late season stage runs from the start of maturity to harvest or full senescence.
Figure 3-10: Typical ranges expected in Kc for the four growth stages.
Kc Values
Typical values for Kc ini, Kc mid and Kc end for various agricultural crops are found in
tabulated form.
The Kc coefficient for any period of the growing season can be derived by
considering that during the initial and mid-season stages Kc is constant and equal to
the Kc value of the growth stage under consideration. During the crop development
and late season stage, Kc varies linearly between the Kc at the end of the previous
stage (Kc prev) and the Kc at the beginning of the next stage (Kc next), which is Kc
end in the case of the late season stage:
… 3.28
Where:
i day number within the growing season [1.. length of the growing season],
Kc i crop coefficient on day i,
L stage length of the stage under consideration [days],
(Lprev) sum of the lengths of all previous stages [days]
Determine Kc at day 20, 40, 70 and 95 for the dry bean crop.
Crop Lengt Kc
growth h
stage (days)
crop 25 -
development
The crop coefficients at day 20, 40, 70 and 95 for the dry bean crop are 0.15, 0.77, 1.19
and 0.56 respectively.
Solution:
The irrigation water requirement of crops is defined as the part of water requirement
of crops that should be fulfilled by irrigation. In other words, it is the water
requirement of crops excluding effective rain fall, carry over soil moisture and ground
water contributions.
WR=IR + Peff + S + GW
IR= WR-(Peff + S+ GW) … 3.29
2 Dependable Rain
An empirical formula developed by FAO/AGLW based on analysis for different arid
and sub-humid climates. This formula is as follows:
Effective Rainfall = 0.6 * Total Rainfall - 10 ... (Total Rainfall < 70 mm)
… 3.31a&b
Effective Rainfall = 0.8 * Total Rainfall - 24 ... (Total Rainfall > 70 mm)
This formula is similar to FAO/AGLW formula (see Dependable Rain method above)
with some parameters left to the user to define. The formula is as follows:
Effective Rainfall = a * Total Rainfall - b ... (Total Rainfall < z mm)
… 3.32a&b
Effective Rainfall = c * Total Rainfall - d ... (Total Rainfall > z mm)
Where a, b, c, and z are the variables to be defined by the user.
Solution:
This term is used to measure the efficiency of water conveyance system associated with
the canal network, water courses and field channels. It is also applicable where the
water is conveyed in channels from the well to the individual fields. It is expressed as
follows:
Wf
* 100
Ec = W d
After the water reaches the field supply Channel , it is important to apply the water as
efficiently as possible. A measure of how efficiently this is done is the water application
efficiency.
Ws
* 100
Wf
Ea =
Where Ea = application efficiency , %
Ws = water stored in the rot zone of the plants.
Wf = Water delivered to the irrigated plot ( At the field supply channel)
Water application efficiency below 100 percent are due to seepage looses from the field
distribution channels, deep percolation below the crop root zone and runoff loses from
the tail end of borders and furrows ( in very long fields).
Ws
Es * 100
Wn
where Es = Water storage efficiency , %
Ws= water stored in the rot zone of the plants.
Wn = Water needed in the root zone prior to irrigation
Water storage efficiency becomes important when water supplies are limited or when
excessive time is required to secure adequate penetration of water in to the soil. Also,
when salt problems exist, the water storage efficiency should be kept high to maintain
favorable salt balance.
This shows how uniformly water is applied to the field along the irrigation run. In sandy
soils there is generally over irrigation at upper reaches of the run when as in clayey soils,
there is over- irrigation at the lower reaches of the run.
y
Ed
1 d x 100 Where Ed = water distribution efficiency , %
d = average depth of water penetration.
y = average deviation from d.
This shows the yield of the crop per unit volume of water used. It may be expressed in
Kg/ha.cm or q/ha.cm
A. Crop Water Use Efficiency: is the ratio of the crop yield (Y) to the amount of water
consumptively used by the crop.
Y
Ew
CU
B. Field Water Use Efficiency: is the ratio of the crop yield (y) to the total water
requirement of crops including Cu losses and other
needs.
Y
Et
WR
This shows how efficiently the water source used in crop production. It shows the
percentage of the total water that is stored in the soil and available for consumptive
requirements of the crop. It indicates the overall efficiency of the systems from the head
work to the final use by plants for Cu. The Overall project efficiency must be considered in
order to fix the amount of water required at the Diversion head work.
Solution:
Ws 2440 m3
Es x 100 59.8% 60%
Wn 4082.4m 3
1.8 1.20
Average water penetration d 1.50m
2
Scheduling of irrigation application is very important for successive plant growth and
maturity. Water is not applied randomly at any time and in any quantity. Irrigation
scheduling is the schedule in which water is applied to the field. It is an important
aspect of an efficient operation of an irrigation system. The scheduling of irrigation
can be field irrigation scheduling and field irrigation supply schedules.
Field irrigation Scheduling
This scheduling of irrigation is done at field level. The two scheduling parameters of
field irrigation scheduling are the depth of irrigation and interval of irrigation.
Depth of irrigation (d):
This is the depth of irrigation water that is to be applied at one irrigation. It is the
depth of water that can be retained in the crop root zone b/n the field capacity and
the given depletion of the available moisture content. All the water retained in the
soil b/n FC and PWP is not readily available to crops. The readily available moisture
is only some percentage of the total available moisture. Thus, depth of irrigation is
the readily available portion of the soil moisture. In other words, it is the depth of
irrigation water required to replenish the soil moisture to field capacity.
The depth of irrigation (d) is given by :
d (net) = As *D *(FC – PWP)*P, m ... 3.46
Where As = Apparent specific gravity of soil
D = Effective root zone depth in m
FC = water content of soil at FC
PWP = Water content of soil at PWP
P = depletion factor
Because of application losses such as deep percolation and runoff losses, the total
depth of water to be applied will be greater than the net depth of water.
d (gross) = As*D(FC-PWP)*P ,m ...3.47
Ea
Where Ea = Field application efficiency and other parameters as defined above
In the above equation q.t indicates the total volume of water applied to the field
during irrigation at the head of the field. But the total volume of water diverted at the
headwork will obviously be greater than this value, because there is loss of water
during conveyance and distribution canals. The total volume of water to be diverted
is given by:
10
Q.t = Ep As .D. FC PwP , p. A.
3
,m
...3.50
Where: Q = flow rate at the head work, lit/sec.
Ep = project efficiency and others as defined above.
EXAMPLE PROBLEM 3.13
For the data below, determine depth & interval of irrigation during different stages.
Depth of the root zone = 1 m, FC = 20 %, PwP = 8 %
Dry density of soil = 1.6 gm/cm3 and density of water = 1 gm/cm3. The rates of
consumptive uses during different stages are as follows. A depletion of 50% during
initial period, 60 % during development and mid – season stage and 70 % during
late season stage is allowable.
Solution:
Month June July August September
Dec 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2
Stage ini ini In/dev dev dev dev mid mid mid Late Late
ETcrop/mm/day 3.5 3.5 5.0 5.2 5.8 6.50 6.6 6.6 6.6 6.2 6.0
Root depth(m) 0.30 0.30 0.4 0.50 0.60 0.70 0.80 0.80 0.80 0.80 0.80
Depletion 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.60 0.60 0.60 0.60 0.60 0.60 0.70 0.70
Fraction (p)
Depth of 28.80 28.80 38.4 57.60 69.12 80.64 92.16 92.16 92.16 107. 107.5
irrigation (mm) 52 2
Interval of 8 8 7 11 11 12 13 13 3 17 17
irrigation (days)
Irrigation 7 11 13 17
interval (days)
Depth of root zone (m) Weight soil sample (gm) Weight of oven dry soil
(gm)
The water holding capacity of the soil at field capacity is 19.60 cm/meter. The
apparent specific gravity of the soil is 1.60. Determine, the moisture content in the
root zone at different depths, total depth of water available in the root zone at
different depths, total depth of water available in the root zone and the soil moisture
deficit.
Solution:
Fo r d e p th fro m 0 0.3 0
M a ss of wa ter 9 8.8 0 gm 9 4.6 0 g
4.2 0 gm
M o istu re co n te n t, W * 100
9 4.6 0 gm
4.40
W * 100 4.8 6 %
9 0.6 0
4.60
W * 100 5.14 %
89.40
The total depth of water in the root zone is the total of all the water retained at
different depths.
The next watering will be done after 17 days. The interval should not be made 18
days, because the plant may suffer shortage of water for one day.
1. The following monthly mean climatic data is given for June for a site located at 40 0
latitude:
Tmax=280c RHmin=430c U2-m-height=6m/s
0
Tmin=15 c n/N=0.72
Compute the monthly mean reference ET in mm/day using the FAO Blaney-Criddle Method.
b) Radiation data
Net Radiation for February month , Rn = 5mm/d
FAO C factor , C = 1.2
Maximum monthly sunshine hours for the month February = 360
3. A grower uses one of the FAO methods to schedule irrigation on tomato for the first 30
days after planting. The average computed reference ET rate during this period is 5mm/d.
The total crop ET for this period is 97.5mm. What is the frequency of irrigation and/or
rainfall in days?
4. compute the mean monthly ETo for grass in mm/d using FAO Blaney-Criddle Method
given the following information;
Latitude=100N Tmax=270 RHmin=60%
Tmin=130 RHmax=95% U2-m-height=5.4m/s
5. The following data are given for a single day at a particular tropical location:
Compute the FAO modified Penman estimate of the ETo for grass in mm/d.
6. a sunflower crop is planted on 15 th May in a very arid region which experience low relative
humidifies and low winds. The initial period crop coefficient is 0.5. Compute the crop
coefficient for 20 June.
7. The following data were obtained in determining the soil moisture content at successive
depths in the root zone prior to applying irrigation water:
Depth of sampling(cm) Wt. of moist soil sample(gm) Oven dry wt. of soil
sample(gm)
0-25 134.6 126.82
25-50 136.28 127.95
50-75 122.95 115.32
75-100 110.92 102.64
The bulk density of the soil in the root zone is 1.5gm/cc. the available moisture holding
capacity of the soil was 17.8cm/m depth. Determine:
I. The moisture content at the different depth in the root zone
II. Moisture content in the root zone at time of irrigation
III. Net depth of water to be applied to bring the moisture content to field capacity, and
IV. Gross irrigation requirement at an estimated field irrigation efficiency of 70%
8. A tube well having a capacity of 4000l/hr operates 20 hr each day during the irrigation
season. How much area can it command if the irrigation interval is 20 days and depth of
irrigation is 7cm?
9. determine the size of stream required to irrigate an area of 15 ha in a region having no
effective rainfall and where the peak consumptive use is 5mm/d. the irrigation system is
operated 12 hrs each day. The irrigation efficiency is 50%.
10. An area of 1ha was irrigated in 10 hrs with a stream of 30 l/s. depth of the root zone was
1m and available moisture holding capacity 16cm/m. irrigation was given when 50% of
available moisture was depleted. Water application efficiency was 60%, determine the
water storage efficiency.