Abstract
With the objective of determining maize’s specific water requirements in different soil cover conditions in a Cerrado region of Mato Grosso, Brazil, this study used the dual’s crop coefficient (Kc dual) approach, according to FAO methods. An experiment was carried out in 2016, with three treatments: without vegetation soil cover; soil cover of 4 t ha-1 and soil cover of 8 t ha-1 dry matter of brachiaria grass. The used methodology accounts for crop’s transpiration component (through its basal coefficient, Kcb) and soil evaporation component (through its coefficient, Ke), which were determined for initial, intermediate and final phases of crop development. Experiments were carried in lysimeters to determine crop’s evapotranspiration, and in microlysimeters to determine soil evaporation. Crop’s transpiration, on three soil coverage treatments, showed overall highest values for the treatment with greater coverage (Kcb maximum values of 0.88, 1.00 and 1.03 from the lowest to greater soil coverage), while between crop’s phases, coefficient values were always higher at the intermediate stage, presenting decreases with crop senescence. Soil evaporation was highest on treatment without coverage in all crop’s stages (Ke = 0.37-0.78) and lowest in the treatment with greater coverage (Ke = 0.11-0.35). Yields were higher on treatments with coverage (9929.18 and 9939.52 kg ha-1 for treatments with 4 and 8 t ha-1) and lower when cultivated in soil without cover (8264.67 kg ha-1). Despite relatively higher crop’s transpiration with greater soil coverage, this treatment was identified as the best management option in the assessed tropical region of Brazilian Cerrado, in terms of rational use of water, due to lowest losses through evaporation, as also providing the highest grain yields.
Highlights
Maize is one of the most important crops cultivated in Brazil and in its mid-western region, where agricultural activity occupies prominent plance in the economy
The state of Mato Grosso, the largest one of mid-western region, is the main producer of maize cultivated during the second cropping season, with sowing dates soon after harvesting the summer crop, which is usually soybean (Silva, Neto, Santos, & Ceccon, 2013)
Considering the above, the objective of this study was to determine the influence of soil cover on the Kc dual of maize in a southeast region of the State of Mato Grosso
Summary
Maize is one of the most important crops cultivated in Brazil and in its mid-western region, where agricultural activity occupies prominent plance in the economy. The state of Mato Grosso, the largest one of mid-western region, is the main producer of maize cultivated during the second cropping season, with sowing dates soon after harvesting the summer crop (or first cropping season), which is usually soybean (Silva, Neto, Santos, & Ceccon, 2013). Irrigated agriculture presents itself as an important alternative for the process of verticalization of agricultural production It can provide water throughout the crop cycle, but it allows the enlargement of sowing windows due to the possibility of water supplementation when drought periods happen within the rainy season (“veranicos”) (Souza, Lima, Carvalho, Rocha, & Silva, 2011). Faggion, Oliveira, Chistofidis and Faggion et al (2009) affirm that this practice is only profitable and sustainable when carried out in a rational way, without causing economic and jas.ccsenet.org
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