Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering Commons^™

Real-Time Irrigation Scheduling Of Cotton With An Automated Pan Evaporation System, Claude J. Phene, William R. Detar, David A. Clark

William R DeTar

High frequency irrigation control necessitates real-time

monitoring of soil water, plant water status or atmospheric

evaporative demand. The research objective was to

determine the suitability of real-time control of subsurface

drip irrigation using automated evaporation pan

measurements.

Hourly electronic measurement of water loss from an

evaporation pan was a critical feedback control element in

the irrigation scheduling of a high frequency subsurface

drip system (SDI) used to irrigate cotton. The water level

in the class "A" pan was monitored continuously using a

micrologger to measure the output of the electronic water

level sensor. The crop water needs were calculated by …