Irrigation Water Requirements

Penman Monteith
Implementation

Irrigation Water Requirements

What it does

Monthly and seasonal irrigation water

requirements
Peak ET values

What it doesnt do

Its not a scheduler

It doesnt calculate daily ET values

USDA-NRCS NEH Part 623

Chapter 2
Irrigation Water Requirements
Penman-Monteith
Radiation
Temperature
Evaporation Pan

Overview of IWR
Strictly in conformance with USDA-NRCS
NEH Part 623 Chapter 2 Irrigation Water
Requirements
IWR can calculate evapo-transpiration
using two methods:
FAO 56 Penman Monteith
SCS Blaney Criddle (TR-21)

Evapo-transpiration
ET
Evaporation

Does not pass through the plant

Occurs from wet soils and/or wet plants
After 70-80% canopy occurs,
evaporation represents 10-25% of ET
Does not include spray losses.

Evapo-transpiration
ET
Transpiration

Water that enters the plant via the

plant roots and leaves the plant through
stomata.

A Quick Summary of ET
Measurements
Pan Evaporation
Lysimeters
Variety of ET Calculations Based on
Weather Data
Penman Monteith

What is the equation?

?
Pan Coefficient =
?
Crop Coefficient =

Evapo-transpiration
ET

Evapo-transpiration
ET

Various ET Equations

Penman Monteith
1
ETO

n
*
*

K1
0
.
622

BP

ez0 ez

ra

Estimating Crop ET
Reference crop method
ETc=Kc ET0
ETc = actual crop evapo-transpiration
rate
Kc = crop coefficient
ET0 =evapo-transpiration rate for a
grass reference crop

Estimating Crop ET
The reference crop is either grass or
alfalfa
Grass: 3 to 6 inches tall (NRCS
standard)
Alfalfa: 12 inches tall
Well watered and healthy

Evapo-transpiration (ET)
Knowing the ET rate of a crop allows
us to:
Design irrigation systems that will
provide adequate water to the crop
Irrigate at the appropriate times
(scheduling)

Basal Crop Coefficient (Kcb)

A coefficient used to relate the ET

from a crop, that is not stressed for
water and where the soil surfaces are
dry, to that of a grass reference
crop.

Average Crop Coefficient

Ka (average crop coefficient)
The average crop coefficient used to
compute ET for a period of time
where average conditions are used to
account for the effect of water
stress and evaporation from wet soil
surfaces.

Evaporation from Wet Soil

Surfaces
In order to determine this, you need
the wetting interval (example: 7 days)
Also needed: soil type
Also needed: method of irrigation

Evaporation from Wet Soil

Surfaces
How much water will evaporate from
the soil surface?
The fraction of the
soil surface that is
wetted

Evaporation from Wet Soil

Surfaces
Method
Fw
Rain
1.0
Above canopy sprinklers
1.0
Furrow Irrigation
Large application depth
1.0 Small
application depth
0.5Every other row
irrigated 0.5
Trickle Irrigation
0.25

Evaporation from Wet Soil

Surfaces
td = days required for soil surface to
dry
Clay: 10 days
Silt Loam: 5 days
Sand: 2 days

Evaporation from Wet Soil

Surfaces
Wet soil excel chart here

Effect of water stress

The water use by stressed crops is
very complex and requires extensive
information to predict.

Average Crop Coefficient

Ka= Ks Kcb + Kw

Wind and Humidity

The crop coefficients are then
adjusted for wind and humidity:
Moderate Wind: (wind run < 250
miles/day)
(less than 10.4 mph)
Strong Wind: (wind run > 250 miles/day)
Arid: < 20% Relative Humidity
Humid: > 70 % Relative Humidity

Dja Vu
ETc = Kc ET0
ETc = actual crop evapo-transpiration
rate
Kc = crop coefficient
ET0 =evapo-transpiration rate for a
grass reference crop