Effects of different irrigation depths on the productivity of castor bean plant of IAC Guarani variety

Abstract

Aiming to evaluate the production factors of variety of castor bean plant IAC Guarani (Ricinus communis L.) under different irrigation depths, an  experiment was installed in the Federal University of Ceará, in the city of Fortaleza (03°44’S; 38°33’W; 19.5 m). The sowing was made in hill spacing of
1.0 x 1.0 m. During the mamoneira cycle, plants were drip irrigated daily with irrigation depths quantified based on the evaporation measured in the Class A Evaporation Pan (ECA). The experiment was allocated in a randomized block design with five treatments (25%, 50%, 75%, 100% and 125% of ECA)  and four replications. The harvest was carried out in three stages in proportion that the racemes of 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd orders were ripened and dried. The following productive factors were evaluates: weight of 100 seeds and productivities of racemes of 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd orders and total of racemes. The irrigation depths influenced the weight of 100 seeds and the productivities of racemes of the 2^nd and 3^rd orders and total of racemes. The irrigation  based on the depth estimated from 105.5% of evaporation measured in Class “A” Pan produced the largest total productivity.