ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the biometric and productive characteristics of carrot (Daucus carota L.) under different irrigation levels and soil covers. Experiments were carried out at the Federal University of Viçosa in 2019 and 2020, to evaluate the effect of five irrigation levels (20, 40, 60, 80, and 100% of the daily irrigation depth) and soil coverings (control, plastic mulching, and paper mulching), on the variables soil moisture (U), actual water consumption (AWC), root length (R) and diameter (D), leaf height (H) and temperature (T), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), yield (Y) and dry root biomass (DB). Irrigation management was performed with tensiometers. There was no significant interaction (P < 0.05) between the factors. Irrigation significantly influenced D, H, T, NDVI, Y, and DB, while the soil cover treatment affected R, D, H, NDVI, Y, and DB. The highest yields were found in 100% irrigation (34.89 t ha-1) and with paper mulching (30.55 t ha-1). The results can guide future adaptations to the carrot production system currently in force in Brazil. As for biometric characteristics, yield, and sustainability in the use of water for irrigation were studied.

Abstract Background: Weeds reduce water use efficiency in crops due to water used by the weed and to the reduction in crop yield. In addition to the usual presence of weeds in the interrow of different crops, the management of these plants has moved away from the idea of total control. Thus, the amount of water lost through the evapotranspiration of weeds (ETW) must be understood. Objective: Determine the water use and crop coefficient (Kc) of the weed species Commelina diffusa, Cyperus rotundus, and Cynodon dactylon using drainage lysimeters associate with the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Methods: The experiment was carried out at the Lysimetric Station of the Federal University of Viçosa, in Viçosa-MG, in a randomized block design, with four treatments and four replicates. Reference evapotranspiration (ETo), necessary to calculate Kc, was obtained in situ through lysimeters cultivated with Paspalum notatum. Results: The highest Kc values were found in the final third of the experimental cycle, equal to 1.32, 0.93, and 0.90 for C. diffusa, C. rotundus, and C. dactylon, respectively. The NDVI showed a good correlation with Kc and biomass, with R2 ranging from 30.9 to 54.6% and from 46.1 to 63.1%, respectively. Accumulated ETW values ranged from 336 to 473 mm, with C. diffusa showing the highest water consumption, followed by C. rotundus and C. dactylon. Conclusions: C. diffusa has higher Kc and water consumption than C. rotundus and C. dactylon. NDVI can be used in the estimation of the Kc and biomass of weeds.

Abstract The Penman-Monteith equation is recommended for the estimation of reference evapotranspiration (ETo). However, it requires meteorological data that are commonly unavailable. Thus, this study evaluates artificial neural network (ANN), multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), and the original and calibrated Hargreaves-Samani (HS) and Penman-Monteith temperature (PMT) equations for the estimation of daily ETo using temperature. Two scenarios were considered: (i) local, models were calibrated/developed and evaluated using data from individual weather stations; (ii) regional, models were calibrated/developed using pooled data from several stations and evaluated independently in each one. Local models were also evaluated outside the calibration/training station. Data from 9 stations were used. The original PMT outperformed the original HS, but after local or regional calibrations, they performed similarly. The locally calibrated equations and the local machine learning models exhibited higher performances than their regional versions. However, the regional models had higher generalization capacity, with a more stable performance between stations. The machine learning models performed better than the equations evaluated. When comparing the ANN models with the HS equation, mean RMSE reduced from 0.96 to 0.87 and from 0.84 to 0.73, in regional and local scenarios, respectively. ANN and MARS performed similarly, with a slight advantage for ANN.

RESUMO O método de Penman-Monteith (PM-FAO) é considerado padrão para estimativa da evapotranspiração de referência (ET0), mas exige vários dados meteorológicos, que muitas vezes não estão disponíveis. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o desempenho do método de PM-FAO com dados meteorológicos limitados e de outros métodos como alternativas para estimativa da evapotranspiração de referência no município de Jaíba, Brasil. Foram utilizados dados meteorológicos diários de 2007 a 2016 da estação do Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia. Os valores de evapotranspiração de referência diários foram aleatorizados, sendo que, 70% desses foram utilizados para determinar os parâmetros de calibração da evapotranspiração de referência para as equações de cada método sob estudo. Os dados restantes foram utilizados para testar a calibração em relação ao método padrão. Na avaliação de desempenho foram utilizados os coeficientes de Willmott, de confiança e a raiz do erro quadrático médio. Quando houve ausência de um dado meteorológico, seja radiação solar, umidade relativa do ar ou velocidade do vento, ou na ausência simultânea de velocidade do vento e umidade relativa do ar o método de PM-FAO apresentou os melhores desempenhos, sendo assim recomendado para Jaíba. O método de PM-FAO com dois dados faltantes, sendo um deles a radiação solar, apresentou desempenho intermediário. Os métodos que utilizaram apenas dados de temperatura do ar não são recomendados para a região.

ABSTRACT FAO Penman-Monteith (FO-PM) is considered the standard method for the estimation of reference evapotranspiration (ET0) but requires various meteorological data, which are often not available. The objective of this work was to evaluate the performance of the FAO-PM method with limited meteorological data and other methods as alternatives to estimate ET0 in Jaíba-MG. The study used daily meteorological data from 2007 to 2016 of the National Institute of Meteorology’s station. Daily ET0 values were randomized, and 70% of these were used to determine the calibration parameters of the ET0 for the equations of each method under study. The remaining data were used to test the calibration against the standard method. Performance evaluation was based on Willmott’s index of agreement, confidence coefficient and root-mean-square error. When one meteorological variable was missing, either solar radiation, relative air humidity or wind speed, or in the simultaneous absence of wind speed and relative air humidity, the FAO-PM method showed the best performances and, therefore, was recommended for Jaíba. The FAO-PM method with two missing variables, one of them being solar radiation, showed intermediate performance. Methods that used only air temperature data are not recommended for the region.

RESUMO A água deve ser fornecida na quantidade certa e no momento oportuno às culturas. As hortaliças requerem uma boa disponibilidade de água no solo durante todo o ciclo, portanto, se tornam primordial a implementação do manejo da irrigação e a estimativa precisa do requerimento de água pela cultura. Dessa forma, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de cinco lâminas de irrigação estimadas pelas metodologias de Kc duplo e Kc único sobre as características de crescimento, produção e eficiência no uso da água na cultura do pimentão. Adotou-se o delineamento em blocos casualizados, no esquema de parcelas subdivididas. Na parcela foi avaliado o efeito de cinco lâminas de irrigação (50, 75, 100, 125 e 150% da evapotranspiração da cultura - ETc) e na subparcela, as metodologias. Foram avaliadas massa seca de raízes, produção total de frutos, temperatura foliar, número de flores abortadas e eficiência no uso da água. A interação entre os dois efeitos não foi significativa para nenhuma das variáveis. O efeito da metodologia somente foi observado para a variável número de flores abortadas. O efeito das lâminas de irrigação foi significativo para todas as variáveis. As lâminas que proporcionam as melhores características agronômicas foram superiores a 100% da ETc. A razão entre as lâminas estimadas pelas metodologias de Kc duplo e Kc único foi de 1,14. A metodologia de Kc único e a lâmina de 143% da ETc foi mais indicada para o horticultor. A lâmina de irrigação mais eficiente no uso da água foi de 105% da ETc.

ABSTRACT Water must be supplied to a crop in the proper amount and in a timely manner. Vegetables require a good water availability in soil during their entire cycle. Thus, it is very important the implementation of an irrigation management and accurate estimation of water requirement. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of five irrigation depths estimated by the dual-Kc and single-Kc methodologies on the characteristics of growth, production and water use efficiency in the pepper crop. A randomized block design was adopted in a split plot arrangement. The effect of five irrigation depths (50, 75, 100, 125 and 150% of crop evapotranspiration - ETc) was evaluated in the plots, and the methodologies were evaluated in the subplots. It was evaluated the root dry matter, total fruit production, leaf temperature, number of aborted flowers and water use efficiency. The interaction between both effects was not significant for any of the variables. The effect of methodology was observed only on the number of aborted flowers. The effect of the irrigation depths was significant on all variables. The irrigation depths that lead to the best agronomic characteristics were superior to 100% of ETc. The ratio between the irrigation depths estimated by single-Kc and dual-Kc methodologies was 1.14. Single-Kc methodology and irrigation depth of 143% ETc were more suitable for the horticulturist. The most efficient irrigation depth in the use of water was 105% ETc.