Characterization of post-harvest fruit banana under different irrigation levels in the Chapada do Apodi – Ceará

The banana (Musa spp.) under water deficit may occur a significant reduction in productivity and fruit quality, as the water deficit during the vegetative period affects the rate of leaf development, influencing the number of flowers and therefore the number of bunches and the production of fruit. The objective of this study was to evaluate the characterization of post-harvest fruits of banana cv. Pacovan Apodi, in the third cycle of production under different irrigation levels in the conditions of the plateau region of Apodi-Ceará. The experiment was conducted at the experimental area of agroempresa Frutacor in Limoeiro do Norte – CE (05°06' S, 37º52' W, 151 m) in the period of june/07 to july/08. The water depth accounted for 50, 75, 100, 125 and 150% of ETc of lysimeter drainage. The crop was irrigated by a drip irrigation system, consisting of five emitters per plant, with nominal flow of 2.3 L h- 1 and PS 20 m.c.a. The water depth influenced significantly (p