Abstract

MURILLO SOLANO, José; BARROS HENRIQUEZ, Justo A.; RONCALLO FANDINO, Belisario  and  ARRIETA PICO, Guillermo. Water requirement of four cutting grasses water efficiency in the Colombian dry Caribbean region. Corpoica cienc. tecnol. agropecu. [online]. 2014, vol.15, n.1, pp.83-99. ISSN 0122-8706.

In the Colombia Caribbean region's low rainfall (600 to 1500 mm) and irregular distribution leads to a drastic reduction in availability of fodder. The project objectives were to determine the water requirements of 4 grasses, evaluate water - production equations and the effect of water deficit on yield. Spray gradient methodolog y was used on a split plot design with 4 repetitions and 6 treatments for 100, 80, 60, 40, 20 y 0% of the water deficit. In summer season from January to April, the average daily water consumption of grasses purple King grass, green King grass, Elephant and Maralfalfa was 4,7; 4,6; 4,6 y 4,9 mm/day with average K factors 0,68; 0,66; 0,67 y 0,73 respectively. Dry matter productions with indicated water consumptions were higher in 301, 317, 140 and 415% respectively than productions in treatments without irrigation. At maximum rainfall (April - June) the average water requirements of these grasses in the same old order was 4,25; 4,23; 4,22; 4,54 mm/day with average K factors of 0,75; 0,75; 0,74 and 0,81. Yields in dry matter with previous consumptions exceeded 146, 178, 141 y 204% respectively to no irrigation treatments. Under irrigated conditions Maralfalfa is recommended while under rainfed conditions Elephant grass is recommended.

Keywords : Gradient; Pennisetum purpureum x Pennisetum typhoides; Pennisetum purpureum; Pennisetum sp.; irrigation.

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