Hidrologia: Pesquisa Atual

Analysis of Evapotranspiration and Developing Crop Coefficient for Plantation Sugarcane Using Lysimeter Experiment under Melkassa Climatic Conditions, Ethiopia

Abstract

Belay Yadeta,, Mekonen Ayana, Muluneh Yitayew, Tilahun Hordofa

Sugarcane is one of the important industrial crops produced all over the tropical areas. Sugarcane production is highly expanding in developing countries like Ethiopia. However, sugarcane is characterized by very high crop evapotranspiration. This requires determination of its crop evapotranspiration to apply with accurate crop water requirement throughout the growth period. The main purpose of the current study was to determine sugarcane evapotranspiration and develop its crop coefficient using Lysimeter experiment. Weather parameters required for CROPWAT 8.0 model used to determine reference evapotranspiration were collected during the study time. The sugarcane evapotranspiration was computed throughout the growing period of the crop from lysimeter experiment. The result indicated that crop evapotranspiration obtained ranges from 1.63 to 7.13mm/ day. The study found that sugarcane crop coefficients were 0.42, 0.93, 1.26 and 1.05 at emergence, tillering, grand formation and ripening growth stages respectively. The variation of sugarcane crop coefficient obtained were 2%, 1% and 30% greater than FAO recommendation at emergence, grand formation and ripening growth stages respectively but 33% lower at Tillering growth stage. Therefore, from the findings so far it can be concluded that these crop coefficient values can be used in the sugarcane estates until further improvements are made.