Development and performance evaluation of modified cost-effective non-weighing paddy lysimeter for estimation of actual crop evapotranspiration
Evaluation of modified cost-effective non-weighing paddy lysimeter
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21921/jas.v12i03.15254Keywords:
Paddy Lysimeter, Rice, Evapotranspiration, Water balanceAbstract
Accurate estimation of actual crop evapotranspiration (ETc) is fundamental for precise irrigation scheduling & enhancing water use efficiency under increasing water constraints. In the present study, a modified, cost-effective non-weighing paddy lysimeter was designed, developed, and evaluated under conventional puddled rice cultivation. To assess its performance, a field experiment was conducted at the research farm of ICAR–Research Complex for Eastern Region (ICAR–RCER), Patna, wherein the lysimeter was used to quantify the water balance components including percolation losses, evapotranspiration, and root-zone water storage, along with the estimation of ETc. Results indicated that percolation losses beyond the root zone and evapotranspiration accounted for 262.48 mm (35.36%) and 369.4 mm (49.77%), respectively, of the total applied water, while 14.87% was retained within the root zone during the crop growing period. Stage-wise mean daily ETc during the initial, crop development, mid-season, and late-season stages were 3.86 ± 0.95, 4.51 ± 1.41, 4.05 ± 1.28, and 2.52 ± 0.51 mm day⁻¹, respectively. Corresponding model-predicted ETc obtained using the Penman–Monteith approach were 3.59 ± 0.77, 4.05 ± 1.16, 4.07 ± 1.26, and 2.50 ± 0.50 mm day⁻¹, respectively. A good agreement was observed between measured and modelled ETc (R² = 0.63, MSE = 0.64, RMSE = 0.80), confirming the reliability of the developed lysimeter for field-scale application. The study demonstrates that the modified lysimeter provides a cost-effective, robust, and practical alternative for quantifying ETc and water balance components in rice fields where commercial lysimeters are not accessible. Moreover, the stage-wise Kc values derived from the study can facilitate regional-scale irrigation planning in similar agro-climatic conditions.
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