The ET at ET project used perennial gardens on the east texas a & m university farm to explore the use of a new piece of equipment to measure evapotranspiration (ET) and compare its use to other…

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded East Texas A&M University $150,000 on September 1, 2026, under the Capacity Building for Non-Land Grant Colleges of Agriculture program (CFDA 10.326) to evaluate evapotranspiration measurement techniques for landscape irrigation management.

The project uses perennial gardens on the East Texas A&M University Farm to compare an ET Node sensor (a direct measurement device manufactured by LiCor) against traditional ET estimation methods based on the Penman-Montieth equation. The study measures herbaceous perennial plant performance under irrigation volumes calculated from three ET data sources: on-site ET Node measurements, a weather station approximately 500 meters from the study site, and a Texas A&M AgriLife ET Network station 32 kilometers away. Irrigation is applied at ET minus a 0.5 plant coefficient and 0.6 quality factor, consistent with Texas A&M AgriLife recommendations for herbaceous perennials. Plant evaluation includes weekly assessments of bloom count, foliage quality, plant form, and pollinator visits. The project aims to validate whether direct ET measurement enables accurate, water-conserving irrigation practices in place of the standard one-inch blanket recommendation commonly given to landscapers across north central and northeast Texas.

The award runs from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2029. Work is performed in Commerce, Texas.

The ET at ET project used perennial gardens on the east texas a & m university farm to explore the use of a new piece of equipment to measure evapotranspiration (ET) and compare its use to other current techniques to provide irrigation to beds containing herbaceous perennials.currently, landscapers across north central and northeast texas are given a recommendation of providing one inch of irrigation to our landscapes. However, using ET, which combines the water lost from the soil surface (evaporation) with the water lost from plant leaves (transpiration). Together, these tell US how much water our plants are using. If we can find this amount, we can accurately apply only the water our plants need to grow. This amount is very often well below the one inch of irrigation recommended. In our project, we will use an ET node. This is a relatively new piece of equipment available from licor, a company known for high quality environmental monitoring equipment. Today, we estimate ET using the penman-montieth equation, a formula that uses weather variables, such as sunlight, temperature, relative humidity, and wind. The accuracy of the equation is related to the quality of the weather station and the relative location to the study site. Our study will evaluate growth of perennials irrigated at ET, minus a plant coefficient of 0.5 (recommended for herbaceous perennials) and a plant quality factor of 0.6 (which represents normal plant quality). The adjustments are consistent with those recommended by texas a & m agrilife for herbaceous perennials grown in our area. Our ET will vary according to measurements taken by the ET node immediately on site, calculated ET from a weather station, approximately 500 m from the study site, and from a texas a & m agrilife ET network station 32 KM from the study site. We will evaluate the plants based on plant performance (bloom number, foliage quality, plant form) and number of pollinator visits. Plants will be evaluated weekly, and we will be able to develop a strong understanding of the species that perform well under this irrigation regime, which maintain a healthy opportunity for pollinator foraging, and which technique provides the most accurate recommendations for irrigation needs on a weekly basis. The information collected will be taught to our undergraduate and graduate students, so they have a keen understanding of plant irrigation needs. Students will also understand how closely our ET and irrigation recommendations are related. They will also understand how using accurate information, allows US to use a scarce resource wisely and in a way that maintains our gardens.