What Does Evapotranspiration Mean?
Evapotranspiration is a combination of the words evaporation and transpiration. It refers to the process of water (moisture) moving from the soil and the plant, and entering the earth's atmosphere.
Evapotranspiration is really two processes: the evaporation of water from the soil, and the transpiration of moisture from the plant’s surfaces. With this process, clouds and rain eventually occur.
Accurately studying and determining evapotranspiration rates in a greenhouse or growroom is a key component in determining irrigation requirements.
Maximum Yield Explains Evapotranspiration
Factors such as the sunlight, relative humidity, air temperature, and wind speed all affect evapotranspiration. If sunlight, wind, and temperature levels increase but the humidity level drops, then the rate of evapotranspiration drops.
When the soil is dry, the rate of evapotranspiration lowers. Evapotranspiration is greatest if the surface of the plants and the soil are kept moist via overhead irrigation methods.
All plant life releases water vapor. Plants draw water and nutrients up from the soil and release the excess through their foliage into the atmosphere. This puts valuable moisture into the air and atmospheric conditions. The process is responsible for 15 per cent of all atmospheric moisture.
Without evapotranspiration, clouds could not form and rain would not fall.
