Interception Loss from the Sprinkler-Irrigated Coffee Plantation

Abstract

Evaporation losses for two sets of experiments were carried out during a hot summer day. To measure the evaporation losses, pairs of funnel-type rain gauges were used in the interspace between plants and below the canopy to measure rainfall and through-fall, respectively, at an equal distance from the jet. Water depths under two types of sprinkler irrigation jets with varying discharge rates were measured. The experiment has been done close to the same operating conditions. The results showed that evaporation losses were 29.6 and 21.1 per cent, respectively, for the two sets of experiments. The losses are comparable to the air temperature and vapour pressure deficit. Water loss due to drift has not been considered in the present study due to negligible wind speed on the day of the experiment and windbreaks from the shading trees. During strong winds, the actual losses will be higher than the measured experimental values. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.