Sesame no Destructive Growth Analysis Under Different Crop Evapotranspiration Levels

Abstract

SUMMARY: Evaluating the BRS 196 CNPA G4 sesame growth in four irrigation levels (L1-40, L2-70, L3100 and L4-130% of crop evapotranspiration), it was outlined, at Embrapa Cotton, Barbalha, CE, Brazil, in 2012, an experiment in randomized blocks with three replications. It was measured and estimated, at 27, 48, 69 and 90 days after emergence (DAE), the Height, the Stem Diameter, the Leaf Area and the Absolute and Relative Height, Stem Diameter, Fresh Biomass Epigeous and Leaf Area Growth Rates and the Leaf Area Index. It was concluded that: a) the crop evapotranspiration levels did not affect the absolute height and leaf area growth rates and the relative leaf area growth rate; b) the height, the leaf area and the leaf area index, growing throughout crop cycle, were influenced by all crop evapotranspiration levels, presenting, only in the two lasts, proportional to the evapotranspiration levels; c) the stem diameter that was only affected by 40% of the evapotranspiration also increased throughout crop cycle; d) the relative height and stem diameter growth rates and the absolute stem diameter growth rate, decreased, but not in proportion to the crop evapotranspiration levels which influenced them, and; e) the absolute and relative fresh biomass epigeous growth rates were proportional to the increasing crop evapotranspiration levels which influenced them.