Abstract
Abstract Yield-improving and water-saving techniques assume great importance in the cultivation of banana plants under semiarid regions, prone to greater climate variability. The objective of this study was to evaluate yield and water-use efficiency (WUE) response of ‘Prata-Anã’ banana plants to combinations of plant densities and irrigation levels: three irrigation levels, 50, 75 and 100% crop evapotranspiration (ETc), and four plant densities, 1,666 (3.0 x 2.0 m), 2,083 (3.0 x 1.6 m), 2,666 (3.0 x 1.25 m) and 3,333 (3.0 x 1.0) plants ha-1, evaluated in two production cycles. The treatments were laid out in a randomized block design with four replicates. Increasing plant density up to 3,333 plants ha-1 induced reductions in number of leaves at harvest and some yield components; also, longer cycles, and increased yields were observed while maintaining fruit marketable size, regardless of the irrigation level used. Using an irrigation level at 50%ETc and a plant density of 3,333 plants ha-1 led to an increase in WUE of 313.92% in the first cycle and 295.27% in the second cycle compared with 1,666 plants ha-1 irrigated at 100% ETc. Higher yields and WUE can be achieved by using a plant population density of 3,333 plants ha-1 and irrigation levels below 100%ETc.
Highlights
In irrigated fruit-growing areas in semiarid regions of Brazil, using water-saving irrigation strategies is critical to an environmentally sustainable production (SANTOS et al, 2019)
Plant density and production cycle influenced the number of days to flowering, pseudostem girth, number of leaves, total leaf area, and leaf area index (LAI) of ‘Prata-Anã’ banana plants at the flowering stage of the first and second production cycle, whereas irrigation levels influenced only total leaf area (Figure 2)
Plants taking longer to flower in the second cycle might be due to the increased shading
Summary
In irrigated fruit-growing areas in semiarid regions of Brazil, using water-saving irrigation strategies is critical to an environmentally sustainable production (SANTOS et al, 2019). This is important for bananas, which need a constant, large supply of water throughout the year (TURNER et al, 2007). Increased water-use efficiency (WUE) may be achieved by associating yield-improving practices with water-saving irrigation strategies. Increasing the number of plants per unit area coupled with water-saving irrigation practices can be incorporated into banana production systems. A higher plant density prevents plants from damages caused by strong winds and excessive radiation, decreases weed population and herbicide use, improves cooling within banana plantations, reduces water evaporation from the soil, and increases WUE (DONATO et al, 2015; SANTOS et al, 2019). Increasing plant density contributes to the decrease in incidence of Black and Yellow Sigatokas and the fungicide use associated with them because Sigatokas are less severe under decreased sunlight ambient (CAVALCANTE et al, 2014)
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