Energy Balance, Water Demand, and Crop Coefficient of Acid Lime in the Oriental Amazon

Abstract

Energy and water dynamics are crucial for citrus development in the Eastern Amazon. This study aimed to determine the energy balance, water demand, and crop coefficient of acid lime in the northeast region of Pará. A micrometeorological tower was installed in the center of the experimental area to monitor meteorological variables between October 2020 and December 2021. The energy balance and water demand were obtained by the Bowen ratio method. Kc was determined by the ratio between crop and reference evapotranspiration. The results obtained indicate that 63% of the available energy was used by latent heat in the rainiest period, while 60% was used during the less rainy period. Sensible heat used 32% and 34% during the most and least rainy periods, respectively. Soil heat presented a low variation, with an average of 5% for the entire period. Water consumption of the acid lime during the experiment was 1599 mm, with a daily mean of 3.70 mm day−1, while the mean value of Kc was 1.4. These results allow for the design of adequate water supply protocols for the crop in the main citrus pole in the Amazon region.