Abstract

ZERMENO-GONZALEZ, Alejandro et al. Evaporatranspiration and its relation to equilibrium evapotranspiration of a pecan nut orchard (Carya illinoinensis) of northern Mexico. Agrociencia [online]. 2010, vol.44, n.8, pp.885-893. ISSN 2521-9766.

The determination of daily evapotranspiration is important to properly program irrigation in the production of pecan trees [Carya illinoinensis (Wangehn.)]. In a pecan nut orchard located in the la Comarca Lagunera, State of Coahuila in northern México, measurements (eddy covariance method) of sensible and latent heat flux were carried out on the canopy of trees during May, June and July 2008. The net radiation and the soil surface heat flux were also measured. With this information the evapotranspired water depth (ETr) and the amount of the equilibrium evapotranspiration (ETequ) were determined daily (from 08:00 to 20:00 h) and for 30 min. It was noted that ETr and ETequ were similar between the days tested. This indicated a small effect of local advection in the evapotranspiration rate of the vegetated surface and that the equilibrium evapotranspiration could be used to determine the daily water consumption of trees in the orchard.

Keywords : eddy covariance; advection; sensible heat; latent heat; irrigation.