Produção e eficiência de uso da água da bananeira cv. Pacovan Ken sob diferentes tensões de água no solo

Abstract

The objective of the study was to determine the effect of different soil water tensions on banana grawth, production and water use effecienty. The experiment was carried out from November 2005 to April 2007, in a Cambisol, located in the Irrigation District of Jaguaribe-Apodi, Limoeiro do Norte - CE (latitude 05º 08'S longitude 37º59'W, altitude 160 m). It was used the banana cultivar Pacovan Ken, irrigated by microirrigation. It was adopted the experimental desing of randomized blocks, with four treatments and four replications. The treatments consisted of starting irrigation when soil water tension in the crop root zone (0-0.4 m) reached 15, 30, 45 and 60 kPa. A closed loop automatic control system, consisting of sensors, multiplexers, a datalogger and a load controller, was used to monitor the soil water tension and control irrigation, by triggering a water pump when the soil water tension and control irrigation, by triggering a water pump when pump when the soil water tension reached the level pre-established for each treatment.