Balanço hídrico e estimativa do consumo relativo de água da cultura da cana-de-açúcar na região noroeste paulista

The present work aims to determine the water balance and estimate the relative water consumption for sugarcane crop in the different phenological phases, in the municipality of Sud Mennucci, attempting to provide useful information to the agroclimatic zoning studies and to define the time of a lesser risk to production of this crop. The data used in the study corresponded to the period from 2012 to 2016, and both the monthly sequential water balance and the regular monthly water balance were calculated using 60 mm as soil water storage capacity (WSC). The Water Satisfaction Index for Culture (WSIC), defined as the relation between actual evapotranspiration and maximum evapotranspiration (ETr/ETm), was used as a criterion in the definition of the phenological phases favorable for cultivation. The results indicate that the tillering and stalks growth stages, and the months between July and October are the most critical periods in relation to the water deficit, considering the harvest in May, there is the need of water replacement in these periods to prevent a decrease in productivity.