Evapotranspiration and water response function of squash cv. ‘Italiana’ under different cultivation conditions

Charles C Martim,Mariana Pizzatto,Adilson P De Souza,Brena G Ferneda,Suzana G Da Silva,Andréa C Da Silva

doi:10.1590/1807-1929/agriambi.v22n9p640-647

Charles C Martim, Mariana Pizzatto + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.1590/1807-1929/agriambi.v22n9p640-647

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Abstract

ABSTRACT Aiming to support projects and managements of irrigation for vegetables in the Mid-North region of Mato Grosso state, Brazil, this paper determined crop evapotranspiration (ETc), crop coefficients (Kc) and water response function of summer squash (Curcubita pepo) cv. ‘Italiana’ under different cultivation conditions. The plantations were conducted in the dry season of the region (July to October 2016), using 2.5 kg m-2 of millet straw (grass) and crotalaria straw (legume) and bare soil. ETc was obtained by soil water balance through tensiometry, whereas Kc values were given by the ratio between ETc and the reference evapotranspiration (ETo) obtained by the FAO-56 Penman-Monteith method. For the water response function, the rates of 40, 60, 80, 100 and 120% ETc were applied, in which case the Class A pan method was used to obtain ETo. The different soil covers did not influence the ETc, Kc and accumulated thermal sum in the phenological stages of the summer squash. Kc values were 0.1, 0.25, 0.38 and 0.41, for the phenological stages I to IV, with average durations of 8, 46, 16, and 20 days, respectively. Increase in irrigation depths did not influence the rates of production of male and female flowers, but affected yield and decreased water use efficiency, regardless of soil cover.

Highlights

Under Brazilian conditions, vegetable production is based and depends on intensive soil preparation, which alters its physical-hydraulic characteristics and exposes it to wide micrometeorological variations along the day and along the production cycle (Román-Paoli et al, 2012; Echer et al, 2014)
The adoption of production systems that involve economic, environmental and social aspects and seek managements which allow the conservation of natural resources has been recommended in the substitution of conventional production systems, especially in vegetable production (Souza et al, 2014)
Regardless of the cultivation system adopted, vegetable production depends on numerous factors, but the response to water availability can be directly influenced by the quantity and frequency of irrigation, water application method, crop development stage, soil physical-hydraulic conditions and microclimatic conditions (Ertek et al, 2004; Souza et al, 2014)

Summary

Introduction

Under Brazilian conditions, vegetable production is based and depends on intensive soil preparation, which alters its physical-hydraulic characteristics and exposes it to wide micrometeorological variations along the day and along the production cycle (Román-Paoli et al, 2012; Echer et al, 2014). Regardless of the cultivation system adopted, vegetable production depends on numerous factors, but the response to water availability can be directly influenced by the quantity and frequency of irrigation, water application method, crop development stage, soil physical-hydraulic conditions and microclimatic conditions (Ertek et al, 2004; Souza et al, 2014). For an efficient management of irrigation water it is fundamental to know the water needs of the crop in its different phenological stages, given by the potential evapotranspiration along with water response functions (Amer et al, 2009; Yavuz et al, 2015a, b; Seymen et al, 2016). ‘Italiana’ (Cucurbita pepo) subjected to three cultivation conditions, in the MidNorth region of Mato Grosso, Brazil

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