EFICIÊNCIA DE IRRIGAÇÃO EM LAVOURAS DE CAFEEIROS CONILON NA REGIÃO CENTRO SERRANA DO ESPÍRITO SANTO

Abstract

Coffee represents the main source of income for rural producers in São Roque do Canaã, ES, Brazil. However, the municipality has severe water restrictions on coffee due to the low and irregular distribution of rainfall. Fact that implies the adoption of irrigation systems to supply the water requirements of the coffee crop, where it is used mainly the drip irrigation. However, the absence of cleaning, maintenance and assessment in these irrigation systems is identified, which reduces the efficiency and uniformity of water application. In view of the above, the objective of this work was to evaluate the performance of drip irrigation systems, in order to determine the uniformity and efficiency of water application. Irrigation systems were evaluated in ten small farms. Based on the results obtained, the Christiansen's Uniformity Coefficient (CUC), the Distribution Uniformity Coefficient (CUD), Statistical Uniformity Coefficient (Us) and Application Efficiency (Ea) were determined and classified. The drip irrigation systems showed low uniformity of water application, being necessary that some preventive and corrective maintenance practices be adopted so that the systems operate with higher uniformity, and consequently, with greater water use efficiency.