Date of Award:

5-2003

Document Type:

Dissertation

Degree Name:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department:

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Department name when degree awarded

Biological and Irrigation Engineering

Committee Chair(s)

Robert W. Hill

Committee

Robert W. Hill

Committee

Wynn R. Walker

Committee

Lyman S. Willardson

Committee

Gary P. Merkley

Committee

Gilberto Urroz

Abstract

Turfgrass water use (seasonal turfET) and crop coefficients were determined and a mathematical soil-water balance model for non-weighing drainage lysimetcrs, which simulates the occurrence (timing and amount) of drainage, was developed. Pairs of non-weighing drainage lysimeters were used to determine crop coefficients for turfgrass in four locations in the state of Utah: Logan Golf and Country Club, Murray Golf Course, Brigham Young University (Spanish Fork) Experiment Farm, and Sunbrook Golf Course (St. George).

Daily weather data including air temperature, relative humidity, average wind travel, total solar radiation, precipitation, and average soil temperature were collected with an electronic weather station at each site. Daily precipitation was measured in three sites throughout the season: Murray, Spanish Fork, and Sunbrook. At Logan Golf and Country Club, precipitation was measured to November 10,2002.

Water use (averages of two lysimeters) during the growing season varied from 684 to 732 mm for three years (2000- 2002) for the mid-April through late-October observation period at Logan Golf Course; 699 mm for May through October at Murray; 469 mm at Spanish Fork; and 896 mm for late-February through early November at Sunbrook, for 2002 growing season. Calculated seasonal Etr using the 82 Kimberly Penman equation with a 1 00-miles-per-day wind travel limit varied from 1166 to 1229 mm at Logan Golf and Country Club, 1067 mm at Murray, 839 mm at Spanish Fork, and 1574 mm at Sunbrook. Seasonal Etr calculated using the PM ASCE std Etr equation was greater than the 82 Kimberly Penman. Seasonal Eto calculated using the F A0#56 Eto equation was less than both the 82 Kimberly Penman and the PM ASCE std Etr equations.

Calculated crop coefficients (as a ratio of measured crop water use and calculated potential evapotranspiration) based on alfalfa reference evapotranspiration with the 1982 Kimberly-Penman equation averaged 0.58 for the three years at Logan. Seasonal averages varied from 0.57 to 0.60. Seasonal crop coefficients (2002) were 0.57 for Logan, Spanish Fork, and Sunbrook, and 0.65 for Murray. Short-period crop coefficients also varied within a given season. Short-term crop coefficients derived from a time of wetting and drainage experiment averaged 0.55 at Logan, 0.56 at Murray, 0.60 at Spanish Fork, and 0.56 at Sunbrook.

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