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Evaluation of twelve wind drift and evaporation loss (WDEL) empirical models through field experimentation under the climatic conditions of Prosser, Washington

Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org

Citation:  2019 ASABE Annual International Meeting  1901235.(doi:10.13031/aim.201901235)
Authors:   Abid Sarwar, Troy R. Peters, Abdelmoneim Mohamed
Keywords:   wind drift and evaporation losses, sprinkler irrigation, standard catch can method, electrical conductivity and thermodynamic methods.

Abstract. Wind drift and evaporation losses (WDEL) estimation is time consuming and complicated that cost much under high degree of errors associated with the procedures. So, the specific objective of the current study was to check for the applicability of the published empirical models to apply under different region of the world. A total of twelve WDEL models were selected and evaluated through 2015-2017 experimentation. WDEL were measured under a linear move sprinkler irrigation in the summer of 2015-2017 using standard catch can method at Prosser, Washington (WA). The results indicated an average of 20.6% WDEL for the entire research duration. WDEL ranges from 3.2-48.8%. Model evaluation revealed that Faci and Bercero 1991, a model developed under cold semi-arid climate using catch can method, performs excellent in the semi-arid climate of Prosser, WA. It got second highest value of mean ratio (MR) of 1.5 and lowest values for mean absolute error (MAE) of 8.0%, percentage error of estimates (PE) of 1.62% and root mean square error (RMSE) of 10.3%. Yazar 1984 the model developed under cold semi-arid climate using electrical conductivity (EC) method, was the worst model (MR=0.07, MAE=20.35%, PE=95.2% and RMSE=22.8%). The catch can methodology performs much better than the electrical conductivity and thermodynamic methods. were the poorest. We concluded that empirical models can be used for WDEL estimation to get an idea of the sprinkler water application efficiency by the farmers rather carrying out whole procedure again and again.

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