ABSTRACT
The countries within the humid tropics contain almost one-third of the total world population [1]. Within this region there are many small islands that rely on agriculture to feed their populations, and whose water resources are subject to an ever-increasing risk. Therefore, it is imperative at this time to better understand the hydrology of small tropical islands, with the goal of improving water conservation practices. Irrigation being among the largest consumers of water in society, special emphasis should be placed on developing techniques for estimating crop water requirements. In support of this goal, this paper reviews the majority of crop evapotranspiration studiesconducted during the last 60 years in Puerto Rico. It is hoped that this information may be useful not only in Puerto Rico but within other areas of the humid tropics as well.
