Coeficiente de cultura e demanda hídrica da cana-de-acúcar na microrregião de Teresina, Piauí

Abstract

Sugarcane crop has great socio-economic importance worldwide. Brazil has the largest acreage and production volume in the world, with promising Northeast region because it has areas for expansion of the crop and stilling have a great energy potential. However, the cropping under natural water conditions limit production, making essential the use of supplemental irrigation during periods of drought. For thus its necessary studies to determine the water demand at various stages of crop development. The objective of this study was to determine the crop coefficient and water demand of sugarcane, through the energy balance method, based on the Bowen ratio, at the Teresina region, Piauí State, Brazil. The experiment was conducted at COMVAP - Sugar and Alcohol Ltda. The cultivar used was RB867515, irrigated by center pivot. The biometric analyzes were length and stem diameter, number of green leaves, leaf area and matter fresh and dry of stem, leaves and sheaths. To estimate crop evapotranspiration (ETc) was used an equipped tower with microelectronic sensors installed near the center of the growing area (10 ha plot). The reference evapotranspiration (ETo) was estimated by the Penman-Monteith method / FAO-56, based on data from a weather station located near the experiment. Soil moisture was monitored by an automated system (Time Domain Reflectometry) TDR at depths from 0 to 0.30 0.30 to 0.60 m, at four points surrounding the tower. The number of green leaves per plant ranged from six to nine, reducing to seven leaves in the end of the cycle. The stems reached approximately 3.3 m long and 2.02 kg of weight, presenting linear gains in length and mass, while its diameter remained stable (25-27 mm). The plant leaf area showed quadratic behavior, with maximum peak of 4,197 cm2 to 254 days after cutting. The balance of average daily solar radiation was 13.7, 13.2 and 16.1 MJ m-2, corresponding to 79%, 80% and 85% of the total radiation, while the coefficient clarity showed values of 0.46, 0.48 and 0.52 and the albedo of 0.15, 0.16 and 0.14, in phenological development phases II, III and IV, respectively. The physical consistency of the ETC analysis data showed that 33% of 406 days monitored were agreement. The ETc daily average was 5.3 mm, with a demand of 2,650 mm for the 498 days of the cycle. The crop coefficient (Kc) average per phase was 0.9 (fast growth), 1.32 (maximum development) and 1.07 (maturation).