CE 4003 S.K.A.K.

D Samarawera
Assignment 01 150347

What is Reference crop Evapotranspiration (ET0)

The rate of evapotranspiration from an extensive surface of 8 to 15 cm

tall, green grass cover of uniform height, actively growing, completely shading
the ground and not short of water.

Methods for Finding ET0

Various methods to find out the Reference crop evapotranspiration

were developed by scientists and the specialists. The relationships of those
methods were accordance with the local calibrations and the global validity is
less. Also testing the accuracy of those relationships takes time, cost and
difficult. For the projects and irrigation designs requirements of quick data is a
need at the time. To meet this need, guidelines were developed and published
in the FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper No. 24 Crop water requirements.
According to the data availability for the users it introduces four methods to
calculate Reference crop Evapotranspiration (ET0).They are;
 Blaney-Criddle
 Radiation
 Penman method
 Pan evaporation method

Various researchers analyzed the performance of the four methods for

different locations. Those methods do not behave the same way in different
locations around. Penman methods gives the most correct results compare to
the other Reference crop calculation methods mentioned above. Following
description presents Penman method, Penman-Monteith and comparison of
those methods.
 CE 4003 S.K.A.K.D Samarawera
Assignment 01 150347

Penman method

In 1948 penman method was suggested by Howard Penman for areas

where measured data on temperature, humidity, wind and radiation are
available. Basic penman equation predicts evaporation losses from an open
water surface (E0). Penman equation consist of two terms;
 Energy( Radiation) term
 Aerodynamic (wind and humidity) term
Relative importance of the terms

 Under calm weather conditions the aerodynamic term is usually less

important than the energy term.
 Under windy conditions and particularly in the more arid regions
aerodynamic term becomes relatively more important.

Penman Equation

ET0 = c[W. Rn + (1 − w). f(u). (ea − ed)]

Energy term Aerodynamic term

ETO - reference crop evapotranspiration in mm/day

W - temperature-related weighting factor
Rn - net radiation in equivalent evaporation in mm/day
F (u) - wind-related function
(ea-ed) - Difference between the saturation vapor pressure at mean
Air temperature and the mean actual vapor pressure of the air,
Both in mbar
C - Adjustment factor to compensate for the effect of day and night
Weather conditions
 CE 4003 S.K.A.K.D Samarawera
Assignment 01 150347

Penman-Monteith Method

Penman method was further developed by many researchers and

Scientisits.John Monteith Extend the basic penman equation by introducing
resistance factors. Theses resistance factors are Surface resistance and
Aerodynamic resistance. The surface resistance (rs) describes the resistance of
vapor flow through stomata openings, total leaf area and soil surface. The
aerodynamic resistance (ra) describes the resistance from the vegetation
upward and involves friction from air flowing over vegetative surfaces.

Penman-Monteith combination equation

Rn - net radiation
G - Soil heat flux
(es - ea) - Vapor pressure deficit of the air,
a -mean air density at constant pressure,
Cp - specific heat of the air,
 - slope of the saturation vapor pressure temperature relationship,
 - Psychometric constant, and
rs - Bulk surface resistance
ra - aerodynamic resistances
 CE 4003 S.K.A.K.D Samarawera
Assignment 01 150347

Comparison of Penman- Montieth method with Penman method

Penman-Monteith method is used throughout the world as a standard

method for the computation of evapotranspiration. Compared to the other
methods presented to find the reference crop evapotranspiration, Penman
method provide the satisfactory results.
In the penman-Montieth method it has considered the resistance
factors including Surface resistance and Aerodynamic resistance where in
earlier penman method resistance factors are not considered. Penman -
Montieth related to a large number of environmental variables that are
necessary to determine ETo.Number of variables are greater than that of
penman method and hence Penman- Montieth will gives more accurate results.
Penman montein equation parameters were derived accordance with latent
heat flux and energy exchange. In penman equation parameters were derived
accordance with energy balance and mass transfer. Penman-Montieth method
does not consider a set of individual leaf and it considers the vegetation canopy
as one isothermal Leaf.

The modified Penman was found to overestimate ETo, even by up to

20% for low evaporative conditions. The Penman-Monteith has all parameters
that consider energy exchange and evaporation from uniform vegetation of
wide area. Most of the parameters are measured or can be calculated from
weather data. This method only requires meteorological data at a single height.
The equation can be used for the direct calculation of any crop
evapotranspiration because the the surface and aerodynamic resistances are
specific to crop.

Some of the problems in Penman modified method is that it assumes

either evaporation or transpiration but not occurring simultaneously. Also it is
not applicable for open canopies.
 CE 4003 S.K.A.K.D Samarawera
Assignment 01 150347

The Penman-Monteith method is considered as the sole standard

method. The results predicting ET0 by the Penman- Montieth equation gives
more correct values than the earlier penman eqation.The use of older penman
equation and other methods to find the ET0 is no longer encouraged.

References
FAO IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE PAPER PAPER, Crop water Requirements,
Revised 1977.
FAO IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE PAPER NO. 56, Crop
Evapotranspiration, by Richard G. ALLEN, Luis S. PEREIRA, Dirk RAES, Martin
SMITH, Feb 2006.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penman_equation
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and.../penmanmonteith-equation