Determination of the crop coefficient for grafted 'Tahiti' lime trees and soil evaporation coefficient of Rhodic Kandiudalf clay soil in Sao Paulo, Brazil

The expansion of permanent trickle irrigation systems in Sao Paulo (Brazil) citrus has changed the focus of irrigation scheduling from determining irrigation timing to quantifying irrigation amounts. The water requirements of citrus orchards are difficult to estimate, since they are influenced by heterogeneous factors such as age, planting density and irrigation system. In this study, we estimated the water requirements of young 'Tahiti' lime orchards, considering the independent contributions from soil evaporation and crop transpiration by splitting the crop coefficient (Kc = ETc/ETo) into two separate coefficients; Ke, a soil evaporation coefficient and Kcb, a crop transpiration coefficient. Hence, the water requirement in young 'Tahiti' lime (ETy) is ETy = (Ke + Kcb) center dot ETo, where ETo is the reference crop evapotranspiration. Mature tree water requirement (ETm) is ETm = Kcb center dot ETo, assuming no soil water evaporation. Two lysimeters were used; one was 1.6 m in diameter and 0.7 m deep, and the other was 2.7 m in diameter and 0.8-m deep. The first one was used to calculate evaporation and the second one was used for transpiration. ETo was estimated by the Penman-Monteith method (FAO-56). The measurements were conducted during a period between August 2002 and April 2005 in Piracicaba, Sao Paulo state, Brazil. The lysimeters were installed at the center of a 1.0-ha plot planted with 'Tahiti' lime trees grafted on 'Swingle' citrumelo rootstock. The trees were 1-year old at planting, spaced 7 x 4 m, and were irrigated by a drip irrigation system. During the study period, Kc varied between 0.6 and 1.22, and Kcb varied between 0.4 and 1.0. The results suggested that for young lime trees, the volume of water per tree calculated by Ke + Kcb is about 80% higher than the volume calculated using Kc. For mature trees, the volume of water per tree calculated using just Kcb can be 10% less than using Kc. The independent influence of soil evaporation and transpiration is important to better understand the water consumption of young lime trees during growth compared to mature lime trees.