Crescimento e eficiência no uso da água de cafeeiro submetido a estratégias de manejo da irrigação

Abstract

With increasing concern about the availability of water resources and their intense use in irrigated agriculture, it is necessary to use new irrigation management techniques to increase efficiency in water use and to provide better development for the crop. Therefore, the objective of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of water use for vegetative growth of coffee under two strategies of irrigation management. The experiment was conducted at Fazenda Vitória II, in the municipality of Monte Carmelo-MG, located at the geographic coordinates of 18 ° 71'19 ''S and 47 ° 58'96''O, average altitude of 880 m. The cultivated variety is Topaz MG1190, planted in 2010, on a RED Latosol. A randomized complete block design was used. The experiment has two treatments: soil-plant-atmosphere management (MSPA) and climate management (MC), divided into 12 blocks, totaling 24 experimental units. The MSPA consists of a fully automated system that correlates data from soil moisture sensors, plant sensors (dendrometers) and a weather station, to make decision making. The MC was performed based on the climatological water balance method according to Penman-Monteith. The variables studied were the growth rates of the lateral branches and the number of nodes of the coffee tree, evaluated monthly, and the efficiency in the water use in coffee development. There was no significant difference for the variables growth rate of the branches and rate of development of nodes. The MC was more efficient in the use of water, since it saved 25.73 mm of water in relation to the MSPA to grow 1 cm in length in the plagiotropic branches and also provided savings of 52.94 mm to develop 1 unit of node.