EVALUACIÓN DE LA TECNOLOGÍA DE RIEGO POR GOTEO UTILIZANDO LA MANGUERA UNIRAM EN EL CULTIVO DE CACAO, EN EL CAMPUS EXPERIMENTAL “LA TEODOMIRA” DE LA FIAG

Abstract

THE COCOA (THEOBROMA CACAO L), IS A PLANT CONSIDERED SENSITIVE TO WATER SCARCITY, ALTHOUGH YIELDS CAN BE AFFECTED BY EXCESS MOISTURE THAT OCCURS IN THE ROOT ZONE OF THE CROP, SO SOILS WITH GOOD DRAINAGE ARE NEEDED. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH WORK WAS TO EVALUATE THE AGRONOMIC AND HYDRAULIC PARAMETERS OF THE DRIP IRRIGATION TECHNOLOGY WITH THE UNIRAM HOSE IN THE CULTIVATION OF COCOA IN THE EXPERIMENTAL CAMPUS "LA TEODOMIRA"; BELONGING TO THE FACULTY OF AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING, LOCATED IN THE LODANA PARISH, SANTA ANA CANTON, MANABÍ PROVINCE, ECUADOR. THE RESEARCH WAS CARRIED OUT IN THE AREA OF THE PROJECT "DEVELOPMENT OF INTRASPECIFIC COCOA HYBRIDS FOR THE PROVINCE OF MANABÍ". THE IRRIGATION UNITS WERE SELECTED IN WHICH THE DETERMINATIONS OF THE BEHAVIOR OF THE WETTING CONE WERE MADE, FOR WHICH 16 SAMPLING SITES WERE SELECTED FOR EACH IRRIGATION SUBUNIT. IN THE SELECTED PLANTS, THE MOISTENING CONE WAS DETERMINED STARTING FROM EACH SELECTED PLANT FROM 0.50 TO 1.50 METERS FROM THE PLANT, FOR WHICH THE TDR 300 VOLUMETRIC HUMIDITY METER WAS USED. THE UNIFORMITY COEFFICIENT OF THE INSTALLED IRRIGATION SYSTEM, FOR WHICH 16 RAIN GAUGES WERE PLACED FOR EACH SAMPLED UNIT. THE COEFFICIENT WAS DETERMINED FROM THE 25% MEAN FLOW RATES AND THE TOTAL MEAN FLOW RATES. WITH THE RESULTS OF THE DETERMINATION OF THE BEHAVIOR OF THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM, THE PROPOSAL OF THE OPERATION PROGRAM OF THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM WAS MADE, FOR WHICH AN AVERAGE FLOW RATE OF THE DRIPPERS OF 1.88 L/H WAS OBTAINED, WITH A UNIFORMITY COEFFICIENT OF 97 %, DEMONSTRATING THAT THE UNIRAM HOSE DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM GUARANTEES THE WATER REQUIREMENT OF THE COCOA CROP.