PRODUÇÃO E EFICIÊNCIA DE USO DA ÁGUA EM CULTIVARES DE BANANEIRA SOB IRRIGAÇÃO COM DÉFICIT CONTROLADO

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the productivity, water use efficiency and fruit size of different banana cultivars under regulated deficit irrigation in the north of Minas Gerais. The experiment was conducted in the fourth cycle of banana production ‘Great Naine’, ‘Galil-18’ (FHIA-18), ‘BRS Platinum’, ‘Prata-Ana’ and ‘BRS Princesa’. Regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) of 70 and 50% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc) was carried out in one, two or three periods from July 2016 to July 2017. Regardless of cultivars, plant height was reduced when two 50% ETc deficits were applied, while leaf area increased when RDI was applied in one period, RDI with 70% ETc in two periods and RDI with 50% ETc in three periods. RDI of up to 50% of ETc in three periods during the crop cycle does not reduce yield in any evaluated cultivar compared to full irrigation. The RDI with 70% of ETc in only one period, between November and February, rainy season, enabled higher productivity and greater water use efficiency in ‘Grande Naine’, forming even grouping with ‘BRS Princesa’ and ‘Prata- Ana’.