Contribution of understorey vegetation to evapotranspiration partitioning in apple orchards under Mediterranean climatic conditions in South Africa

• Published in: Agricultural water management Vol. 245; p. 106627
• Main Authors: Ntshidi, Z., Dzikiti, S., Mazvimavi, D., Mobe, N.T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 28.02.2021
• Subjects: apples; canopy; Canopy cover; cultivars; eddy covariance; evaporation; evapotranspiration; heat; Irrigation; Malus domestica; microclimate; orchards; Sap flow; soil; Soil evaporation; South Africa; surface area; transpiration; Transpiration model; understory; vegetation; water management; South Africa; Irrigation; Soil evaporation; Sap flow; Canopy cover; Transpiration model

Orchard evapotranspiration (ET) is a complex flux which has been the subject of many studies. It often includes transpiration from the trees, cover crops and weeds, evaporation from the soil, mulches and other orchard artefacts. In this study we investigated the contribution of the orchard floor eva...