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Effect of evapotranspiration models on optimised values of apron area and tank capacity in tank irrigation simulation
Abstract
The purpose of tank irrigation system is to provide a mechanism for making better and sustainable use of the scarce and infrequent rainfall resource occurring in arid and semi-arid regions for agricultural production. Three models which attempt to explain the mode of evapotranspiration under drip irrigated agriculture in these regions are applied in the simulation to determine their impact on tank irrigation performance. Three agro-ecological regions in Ghana are used in these simulations, and results from a 5000 m2-citrus, tomato and maize fields with 16.2, 44.0 and 65.0 per cent rainfall-runoff coefficient during a 12-22 year period are compared. The assumption is that evapotranspiration under semi-arid conditions are significantly different from that from humid regions because of the relatively lower soil moisture regime and the smaller fraction of land exposed to moisture under drip irrigation. The results obtained from the simulations agree with this assumption and present a case for further study and validation in the evapotranspiration pattern under drip irrigation in arid and semiarid regions.