Determinación del coeficiente de cultivo (Kc) de frejol caupí (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) En condiciones de lisímetro de drenaje

Abstract

The study was carried out at the La Teodomira experimental campus of the Technical University of Manabí, using a drainage lysimeter, a device designed to measure the water consumption of plants, in order to calculate crop evapotranspiration (ETc) and evapotranspiration. reference (ETo). The research involved an experiment in the drainage lysimeter block with three repetitions, in which cowpea beans were grown. The volumes of water applied and drained were recorded to determine the crop coefficient (Kc), which made it possible to know the water needs of the plant at the different stages of its development. Throughout the study, morphological variables (plant height, stem diameter) were evaluated; physiological (relative chlorophyll content and stomatal conductance) and productive (number of pods, pod length and pod weight) of the crop, while irrigation was managed in a controlled manner using tensiometers and flowmeters. The results obtained indicated that the Kc of cowpea beans varies according to the growth phase. In the initial stage, the Kc was 0.54, reaching a maximum value of 1.90 in the stage of greatest development of the crop. The statistical analysis revealed that the use of the lysimeter allowed obtaining precise data on the water requirements of cowpea beans, which facilitated better irrigation management.