Crop coefficient, water requirements, yield and water use efficiency of sugarcane growth in Brazil

• Published in: Agricultural water management Vol. 128; pp. 102 - 109
• Main Authors: da Silva, Vicente de P.R., da Silva, Bernardo B., Albuquerque, Walker G., Borges, Cícera J.R., de Sousa, Inajá Francisco, Neto, José Dantas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.10.2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: Agricultural and forest climatology and meteorology. Irrigation. Drainage; Agricultural and forest meteorology; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; Brazil; Coefficients; Crops; Design engineering; Evapotranspiration; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Irrigation; Physical properties; Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils; Pivots; Rainfall; Soil (material); Soil science; Soil water content; Water and solute dynamics; Water balance and requirements. Evapotranspiration; Water use; South America; Brazil; America; ASW, Brazil, Paraiba; ASW, Brazil; Rainfall; Soil water content; Evapotranspiration; Monocotyledones; Water yield; C4-Type; Rain; Gramineae; Angiospermae; Water engineering; Vegetals; Meteorological phenomenon; Crop coefficient; Soil moisture; Property of soil; Tropical crop; Water use efficiency; Physical properties; Sugar plant; Soil water properties; Saccharum officinarum; Water requirement; Spermatophyta; Sugar cane; Atmospheric precipitation
• ISSN: 0378-3774; 1873-2283
• DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2013.06.007

•We evaluate crop coefficients and evapotranspiration sugarcane based on soil water balance.•Daily ET and WUE are strongly influenced by soil water availability.•We conclude that the productivity increased according to increases in water level.•A correct evaluation of water losses by crops is important for allocating irrigation water.•The soil water balance method can provide accurate estimates of sugarcane ET. A correct evaluation of water losses as evapotranspiration (ET) by crops is important for allocating irrigation water and improving water use efficiency. Field experiments were conducted throughout 2009/2010 (second ratoon) and 2010/2011 (third ratoon) in a sugarcane field of a commercial distillery located on the coastal area of Paraiba state, Brazil. The main objective of this study was to determine crop coefficient, water requirements and water use efficiency (WUE) of sugarcane grown in a tropical climate. The experimental design was by randomized block design with four irrigation treatments and three replications using two center pivots. Crop evapotranspiration (ET) was determined by field soil water balance and reference evapotranspiration (ETo) was obtained based on Penman–Monteith method (FAO/56), using data of air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and solar radiation from Data Collection Platform, located next to the experimental site. The experimental area was cultivated with irrigation applied weekly by a center pivot system in addition to rainfall. The irrigation scheduling was based on four irrigation levels (T1=25%, T2=50%, T3=75% and T4=100% of ETo). Results showed that ET and WUE are strongly influenced by soil water availability. When averaged across two years, productivity increased according to increases in water level. Sugarcane ET ranged from 2.7 (rain-fed condition) to 4.2mm day−1 (100% ETo irrigation treatment)