Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Crop coefficients and water requirements of irrigated wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the Nigerian savannah zone

  • Published:
Irrigation Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Daily water use of irrigated wheat (Triticum aestivum L., var. ‘Siete Cerros’) was determined for three seasons between 1983 and 1986 using a hydraulic weighing lysimeter at Kadawa in the Kano River Irrigation Project of Kano State, Nigeria. Crop coefficients were determined for various time intervals during each growing season using the lysimeter data and a grass-based reference crop evapotranspiration estimated with Class A pan evaporation data. Mean crop coefficients for each ten-day period of crop growth were then determined. Observed length of a season ranges between 110 and 120 days. Seasonal crop water use ranges between 395 mm and 456 mm. Wheat crop water requirements (CWR) were then estimated for major irrigation projects in the Nigerian Sudan and Sahel savannah zones, between latitudes 10°N and 14°N, using the crop coefficients obtained and long term mean climatic data. The estimated CWR agreed with values obtained from the lysimeter experiments. Seasonal CWR values estimated by designers of three existing irrigation projects in the area agreed with the experimental results, but the designers' short term, ten-day period estimates differed from the results obtained.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abdulmumin S (1987) Design, construction and testing of a hydraulic weighing lysimeter. Nigerian J Eng 4:1

    Google Scholar 

  • Burman RD, Cuenca RH, Weiss A (1983) Techniques for estimating irrigation water requirements. In: Hillel D (ed) Advances in Irrigation, Vol. 2. Academic Press, pp 35–394

  • Chari AV (1980) Effect of 5 N levels and 2 soil moisture regimes on wheat crop performance. In: Progress report of irrigation research programme 1979–80. Institute for Agricultural Research, Samaru, Nigeria, pp 25–50

    Google Scholar 

  • Denmead OT, Shaw RH (1959) Evapotranspiration in relation to the development of corn crop. Agron J 51:721

    Google Scholar 

  • Doorenbos J, Pruitt WO (1977) Guidelines for predicting crop water requirements. FAO Irrigation and drainage paper no. 24 (1977)

  • Glover J, Forsgate JA (1962) Measurements of evaporation from large tanks of soil. Nature (London) 195:1330

    Google Scholar 

  • IMPRECIT (1974) Bakalori project: First phase of the Sokoto-Rima Basin development — Final Report, Section A, Development Scheme, vol 2, Agriculture. pp 129–130

    Google Scholar 

  • Jensen ME (1968) Water consumption by agricultural crops. In: Kozlowski TT (ed) Water deficits and plant growth, Vol. 2. Academic Press, pp 1–22

  • Jensen ME (1973) Sources of evapotranspiration data. In: Jensen ME (ed) Consumptive use of water and irrigation water requirements. American Society of Civil Engineers. p 88

  • Jensen ME, Wright JL, Pratt BJ (1971) Estimating soil moisture depletion from climate, crop and soil data. Trans ASAE 14:954

    Google Scholar 

  • Maurya PR, Chari AV (1980) Wheat irrigation water requirements for the Sudan savannah zone. Paper presented at the 7th Nigerian National Irrigation Seminar 1980. AERLS, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria

    Google Scholar 

  • Siewierski E (1979) Irrigation frequency and amount of water use on Ngala vertisols. In: Progress report on irrigated crop research programme 1978–79. Institute for Agricultural Research, Samaru, Nigeria

    Google Scholar 

  • Sir M. MacDonald and Partners (1973) Investigation and feasibility study of an irrigation project south of Lake Chad, Annex V: Engineering. Report prepared for FAO, and excecuting Agency for UNDP

  • Shultz International Consultants (1976) Hadejia-Jamaare River Basin study, vols E, E2. Water resources, pp III-29

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright JL (1981) Crop coefficients for estimates of daily crop evapotranspiration. In: Proceedings of Irrigation Scheduling Conferance. ASAE, St. Josephs, Missouri

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright JL (1982) New evapotranspiration crop coefficients. J Irrg Drain Div, ASCE, vol 108, IR1, pp 57–74

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria

    S. Abdulmumin

Authors
  1. S. Abdulmumin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Contribution from the Irrigation Research Programme, Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Abdulmumin, S. Crop coefficients and water requirements of irrigated wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the Nigerian savannah zone. Irrig Sci 9, 177–186 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00275430

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00275430

Keywords

Search

Navigation