How to Estimate Evapotranspiration?

There are many methods of estimating evapotranspiration.

Some of these are briefly described in the following:
1. Soil Moisture Sampling:
A large number of samples are taken from various depths in the roots zone and the soil
moisture depletion studies are made.
2. Tanks and Lysimeter Experiments:
Keeping an account of water added and soil moisture changes by weighing the tanks.
3. Inflow-Outflow Method (by Water Balance):
For large areas where yearly inflow into the area, annual precipitation, yearly outflow
from the area and the change in ground water level are evaluated.
4. Field Experimental Plots:
Small amounts of water are applied at each irrigation to avoid deep percolation.
5. Installation of Colorado Tanks:

The tanks are 90 × 90 × 90 cm made of 1.6 mm mild steel sheets with 2.5 × 2.5 cm angle
stiffeners welded to the edges and rims. The tanks, with bottoms for studies of
evapotranspiration and without bottoms to include percolation, with crop and without
crop inside, are placed in position (sunk) in a level field with the rim 15 cm above
ground level and 7.5 cm standing depth of water inside as shown in Fig. 2.7 (UNDP).
After lowering the tanks inside the ground to the desired level the repacking of the soil
excavated has to be done layer by layer in the same order and well compacted.

After installation of tanks and preparation of fields for planning, the water level changes
inside the tanks are measured accurately by means of a point gauge. The inflow to and
outflow from the fields are measured over V-notches installed and the ground water
levels are noted in buried piezometers. The separated values of percolation, evaporation
and transpiration are obtained and basin-wise decrements are worked out for accurate
water balance studies.
The daily and seasonal consumptive use rates are arrived at and the total water
requirements calculated for ready adoption in the field by working out suitable
irrigation schedules. Thus, the evapotranspiration data are obtained by climatological
factors with correlation to soil properties and crop factors.

Evapotranspiration Equations:
(i) Lowry-Johnson Equation Used by USBR:
The constants in this equation are based on estimates of consumptive use by the inflow-
outflow method for a number of irrigated valleys. The constants can also be determined
from the consumptive use data in the immediate region of the project and then adjusted
for temperature differences.
(ii) Penman Equation:
Estimation of evaporation is made on the basis of data for wind velocity, vapour
pressures for saturated vapour and air and the crop evapotranspiration determined by
multiplying the evaporation values by empirical constants depending on latitude and
length of day light. This method has been used throughout the world and found to give
good results in humid areas. However, its use has been limited because of its complexity
and the fact that it utilises several parameters which are not available in the published
weather data.
(iii) Thornthwaite Equation:
*Ept = cta …(2.5)
Where E pt = potential evapotranspiration, cm/month; t = mean monthly temperature,
°C; and c, a = constants to be selected for the climatological conditions of the area
latitude and the month of the year for specific crops.
(iv) P/E Index Method:
Based on studies of weather and crop data from the irrigated areas in the western US,
Munson found that the following P/E (precipitation-evaporation ratios) holds
adequately for normal plant growth.

The sum of the 12 monthly P/E ratios is the P/E index equal to 47. For a given month,
the corresponding value of the P/E ratio and the average monthly temperature t in °F
can be substituted in the modified Thornthwaite formula –
P = 0.014 (t – 10) (P/E)0.9 …(2.6)
To determine P the required monthly precipitation or actually the monthly consumptive
use. It is necessary to exercise judgment in the use of this method.
(v) Blaney-Criddle Equation:
The consumptive use is given by the empirical formula:
u = kf and U = KF = ∑kf; f = tp/100
U = ∑ktp/100
Where t = mean monthly temperature, °F; p = monthly percentage of day time hours of
the year; k = monthly consumptive use coefficient determined from experimental data
(see Table 2.3); u = monthly consumptive use; U = seasonal consumptive use or
evapotranspiration; f= monthly consumptive use factor; F = ∑f, for the growing season;
and K = seasonal consumptive use coefficient for the crop.
In metric units, u = kp ((45.7t + 813)/100) mm …(2.7 a)
Where t = mean monthly temperature, °C and f= p(0.46t + 8.13).
Phelan proposed an empirical modification of the Blaney-Criddle formula-
k = kt kc …(2.7 b)
Where kt = climatic coefficient related to the mean temperature t as kt = 0.0173t – 0.314
and kc = coefficient reflecting growth stage of crop which has to be determined
experimentally.
The Blaney-Criddle formula does not take into consideration such factors as humidity,
wind velocity, elevation etc.
The monthly use for rice in the Cauvery delta in Tanjore has been worked out by UNDP
as follows.
The Cauvery delta lies between latitudes 9°50′ and 11° 50′ north and the
maximum hours of sunshine for 10°N latitude are:

The monthly sunshine hours expressed as a percentage of yearly sunshine

hours are:

(vi) Evaporation Index Method:

Analysis of data on consumptive use indicates a high degree of correlation between pan
evaporation values and consumptive use. The relationship between the
evapotranspiration Et and pan evaporation Ep is usually expressed as-
Et = kEp …(2.8)
Where k is the Et/Ep ratio. The values of k for different crops at 5% increments of the
crop growing season are presented by Hargreaves and has recently introduced several
modifying coefficients into his pan evaporation formula. The values of k at 10%
increments of the stage of growth for the principal Indian crops are given in Table 2.4.
Since these coefficients are average values, care must be taken in their use.

In recent years greater emphasis is being given for determining pan evaporation by
using climatological factors. Christiansen and others have developed the pan
evaporation equation from the climatological factors as-
Ep = 0.459 Rct cw ch cs ce …(2.9)
Where Ep = computed pan evaporation (equivalent to class A pan evaporation); R =
extraterrestrial radiation and ct, cw, ch, cs, and ce = coefficients for temperature, wind
velocity, relative humidity, % of possible sunshine and elevation, respectively.
Hargreaves has developed a similar formula for estimating pan evaporation.
The monthly consumptive use for rice is worked out by Blaney-Criddle
method as shown in Table 2.5 (UNDP):

Seasonal consumptive use for the paddy crop kuruvai from June 16 to
October 15 (growing season) is worked out as follows:

Example: For the rice growing area in the Cauvery delta the following data
are available:

Calculate the field irrigation requirement for the kuruvai rice crop assuming an
irrigation efficiency of 70%.
Solution:
Growing season = June 16-Oct. 15 = 122 days.
From Table 2.6, Seasonal consumptive use U = 85.78 cm
Total depth of irrigation water for the growing season d = 67.79 cm
From the above discussion it follows that the main factors governing consumptive use or
evapotranspiration are the mean temperatures and daylight hours. Other climatic
factors affecting evapotranspiration are humidity and wind velocity. The type of crop, its
stage of growth and the moisture available in the root zone, also influence the
evapotranspiration.

1Peff —effective rainfall; taken from rainfall data of a number of preceding years, which
are available in 75-80% of the years. Mean values would be available only in 50% of the
years and should not be taken.
2
NIR—net irrigation requirement.
3
FIR —field irrigation requirement; FIR = NIR/ηi, ηi = irrigation efficiency = 70% or 0.7.
4
U— determined from pan evaporation data is very near to that determined by Blaney-
Criddle method (U = 88.7 cm) by UNDP.
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