Distribuição de água e fertilizante no solo em coqueiral microirrigado.

Abstract

A field study to determine water and fertilizer distribution in the soil of a coconut plantation was conducted at the seacoast of Itarema, Ceará, Brazil. Using the ion potassium as a tracer, water plus fertilizer and soil samples were collected at several places of the microirrigated area, determined distribution indexes and traced the limits of the wet bulbs in the soil. It was found that there were both misconceptions in the original project and inadequate management practices of irrigation. Although good indexes of water distribution by the system were found - above 85% for a CUC and PE - the water distribution in the soil was poor and the plants shown signs of water and nutrient deficiency, even considering the relatively high average annual rainfall on the area.