EVAPOTRANSPIRATION OF Gossypium hirsutum L. IN THE MEXICALI VALLEY

Abstract

Physical determinations can be simple observations based on the experience of recognizers of soil profiles, or they can require equipment with a different degree of precision. The current methods to determine physical properties are found to a lesser degree of standardization than those of chemical properties. The evapotranspiration of Gossypium hirsutum L. was determined, in the ejido of Monterrey, Valle de Mexicali, México, in the Spring- Summer 2012 agricultural cycle, through the gravimetric method; soil analysis was performed in three strata (0-30, 30-60 and 60-90 cm) to obtain the moisture constants (Field Capacity, Permanent Withering Point and Apparent Density), and to determine the usable moisture considering a soil depth of 90 cm. After each irrigation event, soil samples were taken each day to determine the consumption of moisture for 24 hours until the next irrigation. The irrigation layer for germination was calculated, and later the layers consumed before each auxiliary irrigation event, as well as the moisture consumed until the moment of the crop harvest. With the addition of each one of the layers consumed, the actual evapotranspiration for cotton cultivation was obtained.