Estimating soil water loss from cropped land is vital for sustainable management of water resources in semi-arid and hot regions. Soil evaporation (E_s) is an important process in these regions but hard to quantify. The study aimed at quantifying E_s in maize field under three treatments using micro-lysimeters (MLs). It also aims to identify sources of challenges in the method. The treatments were; flat cultivation with mulching (FCM), without mulches (FC) and double digging (DD, manual tillage practice), were replicated trice. In each plot, two micro-lysimeters were installed, one containing soil samples to measure soil evaporation and an empty one to measure throughfall (Ʈr) under the maize canopy. The 24-hr soil samples weight change and throughfall records were used to estimate soil evaporation for each plot. The estimated mean daily soil evaporation was 3.4 mm/day in FC, 2.1 mm/day in FCM and 3.0 mm/day for DD. There was a challenge in the method during the rainfall period which lead to both negative and high E_s values during rainfall period. Less throughfall from empty MLs than in soil containing MLs caused the negative E_s and the opposite was true for higher E_s during rainy period. We urge the method to be improved by measuring throughfall simultaneously with soil weight changes immediately after rainfall events and minimize random errors by using many MLs. To have more results on reducing water losses while increasing available water for crop growth in this water scarce environment, we suggest FCM to be combined with DD treatment.

估算耕地的土壤水分流失对于半干旱和炎热地区的水资源可持续管理至关重要。在这些地区，土壤蒸发（E _s）是重要的过程，但难以量化。该研究旨在量化E _s使用微测力计（ML）进行三种处理的玉米田。它还旨在确定方法中的挑战来源。治疗方法是：重复进行三分平整（FCM），不覆盖（FC）和双重挖土（DD，人工耕作）。在每个样地中，安装了两个微测力计，一个测微计包含用于测量土壤蒸发的土壤样品，另一个用于测量玉米冠层下的穿透量（Ʈr）。24小时土壤样品的重量变化和穿透记录用于估算每个样地的土壤蒸发。在FC中，估计的平均土壤日蒸发量为3.4毫米/天，在FCM中为2.1毫米/天，对于DD为3.0毫米/天。在降雨期间，该方法存在挑战，导致负E值和高E _s值。降雨期间的数值。空的MLs的通透性比含MLs的土壤引起的E _s少，而在雨季较高的E _s则相反。我们敦促通过在降雨事件发生后立即测量土壤中的通量并同时测量穿透力来改进该方法，并通过使用许多ML来最大程度减少随机误差。为了在减少缺水的同时获得更多结果，同时在缺水的环境中增加作物生长的可用水量，我们建议将FCM与DD处理结合使用。