Abstract
The evapotranspiration research facility at Bushland, Texas, provides an environment for intensive evapotranspiration and plant water stress research with monolithic lysimeters. Forty-eight monoliths were collected from three major soils in the Southern High Plains so water management treatments, cultural systems, and crop varieties can be replicated. To collect the monoliths, bottomless, rectangular steel boxes were pressed into the soil with hydraulic jacks connected to concrete piers. The monoliths were then tilted into an excavated trench to shear the bottom surface and removed with a crane. The 0.75 m ¥ 1.0 m (30 in. ¥ 40 in.) rectangular area of the monoliths provides normal plant spacing geometry, and the 2.3-m (7.6 ft) deep soil profile with suction drainage allows a normal soil water potential profile to develop. A 13 m ¥ 18 m (42 ft ¥ 60 ft) rain shelter prevents unwanted precipitation on the lysimeters, and soil water levels are controlled with a drip irrigation system. Evapotranspiration is calculated from lysimeter mass changes measured with a load cell suspended from a bridge crane inside the rain shelter.
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