Evaluar el requerimiento hídrico de Caesalpinia spinosa (guarango) en etapa de vivero bajo condiciones controladas, en la estación experimental Tunshi, Espoch. cantón Riobamba, provincia de Chimborazo.

Abstract

The present research proposes to evaluate the water requirement of Guarango (Caesalpinia spinosa), in nursery stage under controlled conditions, at the Tunshi Experimental Station, Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo, Riobamba canton, Chimborazo province. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three treatments and three replications was carried out and adapted to drip irrigation conditions. According to the usable soil moisture (T1;100%, T2;75% and T3;50%), statistical analyses were carried out using InfoStat software and Tukey's test was used for the analysis of variance with a significance level of 5%. Four phenological stages were identified, from the time of pricking out to lignification; number of plants set, days elapsed until the emergence of true leaves - leaf growth, days elapsed until vegetative development, days elapsed until lignification, the irrigation laminae were established by empirical calculation using a class A evaporimeter tank, to evaluate the incidence in the treatments. As a result, the crop coefficient (Kc) values were determined; 0.16; 0.85; 0.84 and 0.37 (initial, development, intermediate, final), crop evapotranspiration (ETc) reached values of 0.63; 2.94; 2.49; 1.40 mm/day (initial, development, intermediate, final), in the variables to be evaluated, a growth in height of 7.47 cm was obtained, diameter at the height of the neck 3.40 mm/day (initial, development, intermediate, final); diameter at neck height 3.90 mm; stomatal conductivity 203.0 mmol/ms; relative water content 79.93%; demonstrating that the different irrigation levels significantly affected the growth of guarango. It is concluded that the lower soil moisture content (T3), has a better performance. Studies with different levels of soil moisture in relation to Caesalpinia spinosa are required in order to statistically extend differences in growth, which will allow to obtain a more concrete scientific basis about the water requirement in the nursery stage.