Abstract
Crop coefficient (Kc), the ratio of potential evapotranspiration to reference evapotranspiration, is an important parameter in irrigation planning and management. However, this information is not available for many important crops. A study was carried out at the experimental farm of Melkassa Agricultural Research Centre of Ethiopian Agricultural Research Organization, which is located in a semiarid climate. Four drainage type lysimeters were used to measure the daily evapotranspiration of Haricot bean, Awash Melkassa variety on a clay loam soil. Crop coefficient was developed from measured crop evapotranspiration and reference evapotranspiration calculated using weather data. The measured values of crop coefficient for the crop were 0.34, 0.70, 1.01, and 0.68 during initial, development mid-season, and late season stages. These, locally determined values can be used by irrigation planners and managers at Melkassa and other areas with similar agroecological conditions.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 33-40 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics |
| Volume | 107 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 2006 |
