The eggplant cultivation in plastic greenhouse has increased in Southern Brazil. However, little is known about crop evapotranspiration in plastic greenhouse condition for proper irrigation. This study aimed to determine the maximum evapotranspiration and crop coefficient of eggplant cultivated in plastic greenhouse. Three experiments were carried out under plastic greenhouse, two in spring of 2006 and 2007 and another in fall of 2007 under the subtropical climate conditions of Santa Maria, RS. Plants were grown on ridges, covered with plastic mulching and drip irrigated. The maximum crop evapotranspiration was measured in six replications of drainage evapotranspirometer containing 20 L of substrate and one plant. The reference evapotranspiration was calculated by Penman-Monteith method. It was found that the maximum crop evapotranspiration in spring is greater than in fall, while the crop coefficient was greater in fall. It was concluded that crop coefficient of eggplant cultivated in plastic greenhouse can be estimated with good accuracy as a function of days after transplantating or leaf area index.
Solanum melongena L.; water requirement; protected cropping
