Water requirements and restrictions to sugarcane in cane plants and ratoon cane cycles in Southern Brazil

In a site with a Cfa-type climate in southern Brazil, the water requirements and restrictions for the cultivation of sugar cane (Saccharum spp.), in plant and soca (second cut) were characterized. Water availability was calculated based on the daily water balance and evapotranspiration was estimated using the Penman-Monteith method. The thermal and water requirements of sugarcane were calculated taking as reference the agroecological zoning in the state of Paraná, Brazil. Water requirement index did not show limiting factors for the development of the crop both in plant and soca. Water deficit was the most important agroclimatic risk factor. In Paranavaí-PR, Brazil, sugarcane is a safe crop, with possibilities of saving water in the development stage (phase II), with frequent additional irrigation needs of 508.8 mm/crop cycle for plant and 486.5 mm/sugarcane cycle for soca.