New Evapotranspiration Crop Coefficients

TLDR

Reference evapotranspiration is based on well‑watered alfalfa grown to near maximum ET in arid, irrigated regions. The study develops improved crop coefficients for Pacific Northwest irrigated crops to estimate crop ET from reference ET. Crop coefficients were derived from lysimeter measurements of reference and crop ET at a field site near Kimberly, Idaho, producing curves for alfalfa, potatoes, snap beans, sugarbeets, peas, sweet corn, field corn, and winter and spring cereals. The new coefficients represent basal values for minimal soil evaporation and, when combined with better wet‑soil evaporation estimates, enable more accurate daily crop ET, irrigation scheduling, and crop water requirement estimates.

Abstract

Improved crop coefficients for various Pacific Northwest irrigated crops were developed for estimating crop evapotranspiration (ET) from estimates or measurements of reference ET. Reference ET was based on that for well watered, actively growing alfalfa with sufficient growth for near maximum ET in arid, irrigated regions. ET for the alfalfa reference crop and other crops was measured with sensitive weighing lysimeters at the field site near Kimberly, Idaho. The new crop coefficients are basal or minimal coefficients for conditions when soil evaporation is minimal but root-zone soil moisture is adequate. When combined with improved estimates of evaporation from wet soils, they should permit more accurate estimates of daily crop ET, more accurate irrigation scheduling, and more reliable estimates of crop water requirements. Curves were developed for alfalfa, potatoes, snap beans, sugarbeets, peas, sweet and field corn and winter and spring cereals.