Abstract: As a measurement of soilplantationatmosphere transfer system model, the reference crop evapotranspiration ([WTBX]ET0[WTBZ]), which affects the application of models and the precision of prediction, has traditionally been used for understanding water use and water consumption of plant. In order to test the applicability of different methods for hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert, PenmanMonteith method was taken as the standard to calculate the values of [WTBX]ET0[WTBZ] with eight methods of reference crop evapotranspiration at Tazhong Meteorological Station in hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert during the period of 2005-2010. The results showed that the annual [WTBX]ET0[WTBZ] calculated with Penman1948, FAO24-Penman, IrmarkAllen, Makkink and PriestleyTaylar were lower than that calculated with PenmanMonteith method, and that calculated with the modified FAO Penman was slightly higher than that calculated with PenmanMonteith method, and there was no significant difference between the results calculated with the Kimberley Penman, Hargreave and PenmanMonteith methods. The deviation of [WTBX]ET0[WTBZ] calculated with Penman1948, FAO24-Penman, IrmarkAllen, Makkink, Modified FAO Penman and PriestleyTaylar was higher than that calculated with PenmanMonteith method. There was a high deviation because the different modified wind speed formula were used in the calculation with three Penman methods (Penman1948, FAO24-Penman and Modified FAO Penman), and the radioactive term was considered only in the calculation with other three methods (IrmarkAllen, Makkink and PriestleyTaylar), but the aerodynamic term was ignored. Therefore, these six methods (Penman1948, FAO24-Penman, Modified FAO Penman, IrmarkAllen, Makkink and PriestleyTaylar) of [WTBX]ET0[WTBZ] was inapplicable for the extremely arid Taklimakan Desert expect the Kimberley Penman and Hargreave methods.

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