Evapotranspiration and crop coefficient of poplar and willow short-rotation coppice used as vegetation filter

Ten-day evapotranspiration (ETc) and crop coefficient (kc) of willow and poplar SRC used as vegetation filter and grown under fertilised (F) and unfertilised (NF) conditions, were determined for two successive growing seasons using volumetric lysimeters. During the first growing season, total ETc observed was, respectively, 620 (NF)–1190 (F) mm in willow and 590 (NF)–725 (F) in poplar. During the second growing season, ETc showed a general increase, mainly in fertilised lysimeters where it ranged between 890 (NF)–1790 mm (F) in willow and 710 (NF)–1100 mm (NF) in poplar. kc reached in both years its maximum between the end of August and the beginning of September. In 2004 maximum kc ranged from 1.25–2.84 in willow and 1.06–1.90 in poplar, whereas in 2005 it ranged from 1.97–5.30 in willow and 1.71–4.28 in poplar. ETc seemed to be strongly correlated to plant development and mainly dependent on its nutritional status rather than on the differences between the species.