Water requirements of Terra‑type banana under coastal tableland conditions

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of different water depths on the morphophysiological and yield variables of three Terra‑type banana cultivars. A randomized complete block design was used, in a factorial arrangement with 12 treatments and three replicates. Treatments consisted of water depths correspondent to 33, 66, 99, and 120% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc), besides the control without irrigation, and of the cultivars Terra Maranhão, Terrinha, and D’Angola. The morphophysiological variables evaluated were: plant height, pseudostem diameter, leaf area, stomatal conductance, and, during harvest, the number of fingers and hands, and hand weight per bunch. Crop coefficients of the Terra‑type banana cultivars were obtained from the best combination of yield and water use efficiency. The consumptive water‑use depths of 1,599 mm (1.20 ETc), 922 mm (0.84 ETc), and 940 mm (1.06 ETc) correspond to the maximum yields and water use efficiencies of the cultivars Terra Maranhão, Terrinha, and D’Angola, respectively.