Evapotranspiration and crop coefficients of banana at the Vale of Curu, CE, Brazil

Abstract

The objective of the research was to estimate the crop evapotranspiration of banana varieties Pacovan and Prata Anã and to determine crop coefficients in development and mid – season stages. The experiment was carried out in the Vale do Curu Experimental Farm, Federal University of Ceará – UFC, at Pentecoste County, State of Ceará, Brazil, from July to December 2002. Crop evapotranspiration was obtained by the soil water balance method while the reference evapotranspiration (ETo) was obtained with a class A pan and Penman Monteith – FAO methods. The soil water balance approach, with the use of tensiometers, was relatively  adequate in estimating crop evapotranspiration (ETc) and crop coefficients (Kc). The mean crop evapotranspiration rate was of 4.79 mm day ^-1 for the variety Prata Anã and 5.8 mm day^-1 for the variety Pacovan. The crop coefficients (Kc) values were between 0.7 and 0.9, using the class A pan, and 0.8 and 1.0 using Penman Monteith FAO methods for the varieties Prata Anã and Pacovan, in development and mid – season stages, respectively.