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Construction, installation, and performance of two repacked weighing lysimeters

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Abstract

Weighing lysimeters are the standard method for directly measuring evapotranspiration (ET). This paper discusses the construction, installation, and performance of two (1.52 m × 1.52 m × 2.13-m deep) repacked weighing lysimeters for measuring ET of corn and soybean in West Central Nebraska. The cost of constructing and installing each lysimeter was approximately US $12,500, which could vary depending on the availability and cost of equipment and labor. The resolution of the lysimeters was 0.0001 mV V−1, which was limited by the data processing and storage resolution of the datalogger. This resolution was equivalent to 0.064 and 0.078 mm of ET for the north and south lysimeters, respectively. Since the percent measurement error decreases with the magnitude of the ET measured, this resolution is adequate for measuring ET for daily and longer periods, but not for shorter time steps. This resolution would result in measurement errors of less than 5% for measuring ET values of ≥3 mm, but the percent error rapidly increases for lower ET values. The resolution of the lysimeters could potentially be improved by choosing a datalogger that could process and store data with a higher resolution than the one used in this study.

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Notes

  1. Names of commercial products are solely provided as information to the reader and do not imply endorsement or recommendation by the authors or their organizations.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge Merle Still, Don Davison, and Jereme Hartman for their valuable contribution to this project. We also would like to acknowledge the help of William C. Markley from the NRCS who described the soil profiles at both lysimeter sites. This paper is a contribution of the University of Nebraska Agricultural Research Division, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA (Journal Series No. 15117). Partial funding for this project was provided by the Anna H. Elliot Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Irrigated Farming Systems, Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F), 203 Tor Street, Toowoomba, QLD, 4350, Australia

    José O. Payero

  2. Department of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 234 L.W. Chase Hall, Lincoln, NE, 68583-0726, USA

    Suat Irmak

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  1. José O. Payero
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  2. Suat Irmak
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Correspondence to José O. Payero.

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Communicated by T. Trooien.

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Payero, J.O., Irmak, S. Construction, installation, and performance of two repacked weighing lysimeters. Irrig Sci 26, 191–202 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-007-0085-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-007-0085-9

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