Theory
Unit I
Energy concept of soil water, hydraulic conductivity and soil water flux; Theory on hydraulic conductivity in saturated and unsaturated soils; physical factors concerning water movement in soil; concepts on evaporation, evapotranspiration, potential and actual evapotranspiration.
Unit II
Theories of evapotranspiration and their comparison; aerodynamic, eddy correlation, energy balance, water balance and other methods, their application under different agroclimatic conditions; concepts of potential, reference and actual evapotranspiration – modified techniques.
Unit III
Influence of microclimatic and cultural factors on soil water balance; techniques of lysimetry in measuring actual evapotranspiration. water use efficiency and scheduling of irrigation based on evapotranspiration; water use efficiency and antitranspirants, computation of Kc values and their use; irrigation scheduling based on climatological approaches.
Unit IV
Yield functions; water use efficiency and scheduling of irrigation based on evapotranspiration; dry matter yield ET functions; radiation instruments; advanced techniques for measurement of radiation and energy balance; estimation of evapotranspiration through remote sensing.