4.

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.
Factors affecting Transpiration:

• Temperature: Increase in temperature increases

transpiration

• Solar Radiation: Increase in solar radiation

increases transpiration. 95% of transpiration occurs
during the day

• Wind: Increased wind velocity increases

transpiration
• Soil Moisture: Decrease in soil moisture decreases
transpiration

• Physiological factors:

 Density and characteristics of stomata

 Leaf structure etc

Estimation of Transpiration:
a) Phytometer:
• It’s a large vessel filled with soil and in which plants
are grown

• Soil surface has a sealing material to prevent

evaporation from soil.

• Initial weight of the vessel with plants is taken and

transpiration is determined from the weight loss

Read about potometers

5. Evapotranspiration ET:

• Sum of water transpired by the plant and that

evaporated from the adjacent soil.

• Evapotranspiration rate is normally expressed in

millimetres (mm) per unit time

Potential evapotranspiration: Maximum ET occurring

if there is no deficiency of water available in the soil
in fully vegetative basin
 Evaporation
• Transfer of H2O from liquid to vapor phase
– Diffusive process driven by
• Saturation (vapor density) gradient ~ (rs – ra)
• Aerial resistance ~ f(wind speed, temperature)
• Energy to provide latent heat of vaporization (radiation)
• Transpiration is plant mediated evaporation
– Same result (water movement to atmosphere)
• Summative process = evapotranspiration (ET)
– Dominates the fate of rainfall
• ~ 95% in arid areas
• ~ 70% for all of North America
 Evapo-Transpiration
• ET is the sum of
– Evaporation: physical process
from free water
• Soil
• Plant intercepted water
• Lakes, wetlands, streams, oceans
– Transpiration: biophysical
process modulated by plants
(and animals)
• Controlled flow through leaf
stomata
• Species, temperature and
moisture dependent
 Four Requirements for ET
Energy

Water
NP

Vapor Pressure Gradient

Wind
 3850 zettajoules per year

NASA
 Water Availability: PET vs. AET
• PET (potential ET) is the expected ET if water is not
limiting
– Given conditions of: wind, Temperature, Humidity
• AET (actual ET) is the amount that is actually
abstracted (realizing that water may be limiting)
– AET = a * PET
– Where a is a function of soil moisture, species, climate
• ET:PET is low in arid areas due to water limitation
• ET ~ PET in humid areas due to energy limitation
 Soil Water Evaporation
• Stage 1. For soils saturated to the surface, the evaporation rate is similar
to surface water evaporation.
• Stage 2. As the surface dries out, evaporation slows to a rate dependent
on the capillary conductivity of the soil.
• Stage 3. Once pore spaces dry, water loss occurs in the form of vapor
diffusion. Vapor diffusion requires more energy input than capillary
conduction and is much, much, slower.

Note that for soils under a forest canopy, Rnet, vapor pressure deficit, and
turbulent transport (wind) are lower than for exposed soils.
5.1 Factors affecting Evapotranspiration:

• Meteorological factors: The principal weather parameters

affecting evapotranspiration are radiation, air temperature,
humidity and wind speed. 

• Crop factors: The crop type, variety and development

stage should be considered when assessing the
evapotranspiration from crops grown in large, well-
managed fields. 
• Soil Moisture: Less soil moisture , less ET

• Adjoining land: ET is less is adjoining land is also cropped

• Density of Vegetation: Greater density , greater density

5.2: Estimation of ET

• Evapotranspiration is not easy to measure. 

Methods Include: (+Many more)

i) Lysimeter Method
ii) Empirical Method
iii) Analytical Methods
i) Lysimeter:

• Also called an evapotranspirator

• It’s fixed on the ground and plants grow on top of it

• Sides are impervoius but bottom is previous

• Water is applied to crops at surface and unutilized water

drains through the bottom and is measured
• The amount of water lost by ET can be worked out by
calculating the difference between the amount before and
after the precipitation input.
ii) Empirical Methods:

a) Blaney – Criddle Equation

b) Thornthwaite Equation

c) FAO Pennman Mointeith

1) Blaney- Criddle method
This method is suggested where only temperature data are available. The Blaney-Criddle
method formula to calculate mean value over the given month is expressed as:

ETo = C [p(0.46T+8)] mm/day

Where ETo= reference crop evapotranspiration in mm/day for the month considered.
T= mean daily temperature in c over the month
o

P= mean daily percentage of total annual daytime hours obtained from table for a given month and
latitude,
C = adjustment factor which depends on minimum relative humidity, sunshine hours and daytime wind
estimates .
After determining ETo, ETcrop can be predicted using the appropriate crop coefficient (Kc).
ETcrop= Kc * ETo
A more simplified form of Blaney-Criddle equation in which the potential
evapotranspiration (consumptive use) depends only in the mean monthly temperature and
monthly day light hours is given as:
u = Kf
Where u= monthly consumptive use, m
K = empirical crop coefficient
f = monthly consumptive use factor

Where, p is monthly day light hours. It depends on the latitude of the location. Tm is mean
monthly temperature in oC. Obtain values of P from standard tables.
The crop coefficient K depends on the location and type of crop. Values of varies according to the different stage of crop growth period. This
method gives good results if the value of K is selected judiciously after field test.
The seasonal consumptive use (U) will be the sum of each month's consumptive use (u) for
the crop-growing period.
Limitation: This method is an approximate method, since it does not consider a number of
important factors such as humidity, wind velocity and altitude

Example:
Determine the consumptive use for wheat from the following data by Blaney-Criddle
method. Take K= 0.7