THE CONTRIBUTION OF CLIMATIC FACTORS ON MICROLYSIMETRIC POTENTIAL EVAPOTRANSPIRATION (PET)AND PAN EVAPORATION AT SAMARU, NIGERIA

Abstract

Data collected during 1996 and 1997 rainy seasons at the meteorological station of Institute for Agricultural Research, at Samaru, Nigeria, were analysed to assess the effect of climatic factors, relative humidity, wind speed, solar radiation, sunshine hours, air and solar temperatures on microlysimetric PET and pan evaporation. Combination of solar radiation and sunshine hours were highly correlated with microlysimetric PET and pan evaporation. Sunshine hours and solar radiation contributed significantly to PET and Pan evaporation, indicating that these two climatic factors are the most important affecting PET at Samaru.


All the climatic parameters were positively correlated with measured PET and pan evaporation There were negative correlation between wind speed and soil temperature, wind speed and air temperature wind speed and solar radiation, wind speed and sunshine hours, air temperature and sunshine hours. The residual values Rx that is unaccounted for by the direct and combined contributions were 47.72% and 44.3% in PET and 13%and 32.15% in pan for both years respectively.


Nigerian Journal of Soil Science Vol.4 2003: 1-8