Irrigation scheduling using tensiometer in dry bean crop (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) (Original)

Abstract

The research was developed from November 2020 to March 2021. The research area belongs to the Basic Unit of Cooperative Production Grito de Yara of the Agricultural Enterprise Paquito Rosales, Granma, Cuba, located at 20° 25' 02'' N Latitude and 76° 53' 27'' W Longitude. The objective of the article is to elaborate a diagram of irrigation management and operation with center pivot machines, in the cultivation of beans, considering the matrix tension.  The experiment was developed on a Fluvisol soil. The common bean variety Buenaventura was studied. The planting date was November 10, 2020. Irrigation scheduling was carried out using the soil water tension method (tensiometers). Irrigation was applied when the tensiometers of the first layer (0-15 cm) marked the defined matrix tension (-30+(-5) cbar). Under the trial conditions, soil matrix tension measurements at 0.30 m depth are a good indicator of soil water availability and, therefore, are considered an effective tool for irrigation monitoring in the bean crop. The difference found in the usefulness of tensiometric measurements at 15 cm and 30 cm, indicates the importance of choosing the appropriate irrigation sheets and the knowledge of the water absorption pattern, as basic elements for the correct irrigation management.