This study evaluated the effects of different irrigation water depths on the vegetative development, yield and quality of banana. The basic parameters of the irrigation management were determined fo a banana crop, for the first and second cycles in the Northern Minas Gerais, Brazil. The irrigation water depths applied to the treatments were 40, 60, 80, 100 and 120% of the reference evapotranspiration (ETo) estimated by Penman-Monteith equation. The leaf area index and the degrees-day accumulated for each phenological stage, as wellas the shade percentages, were determined. The results show that the treatment corresponding to 120% of the ETo provided higher productivities in comparison to other treatments. The irrigation water depths affected the fruit quality at the harvesting time, showing that the irrigation depth of 120% of the ETo was superior. The amount of water applied in treatments of 100 and 120% of the ETo in relation to the other treatments promoted earls flowering and, consequently, harvest. The crop coefficients (Kc) presented for the first cycle values of 0.71, 1.00 and 0.87 for the phenological stages corresponding to II, III and IV, respectively, and 0.97 for the only one stage for the second cycle.
Musa spp.; irrigation; management
