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-The objective of this work was to delineate irrigation management zones using geostatistics and multivariate analysis in different combinations of physical and hydraulic soil properties, as well as to determine the optimal number of management zones in order to avoid overlaping. A field experiment was carried out in a Quartzipsamment, for two years, in an irrigated orchard of table grape, in the Senador Nilo Coelho Irrigation Scheme, in the municipality of Petrolina, in the state of Pernanbuco, Brazil. Soil samples were collected for the determination of soil physico-hydraulic properties. A portable meter was used to measure soil apparent electrical conductivity. Spatial distribution maps were generated using ordinary kriging. Management zones for five different combinations of soil properties were defined using the fuzzy c-means clustering algorithm, and two indexes were applied to determine the optimal number of management zones. Two combinations of soil properties can be used in the management zone planning in order to monitor soil moisture.

Planejamento agrícola Precipitação Regime pluviométrico KEYWORDS Agricultural planning Precipitation Rainfall regime RESUMO: O presente trabalho objetivou caracterizar o perfil da precipitação do município de Cruz das Almas-BA através da técnica de Quantis e realizar o balanço hídrico dos distintos regimes hídricos identificados na região. Para isto, foram utilizados dados de precipitação e temperatura do ar obtidos numa estação meteorológica convencional (OMM: 83222) localizada no município de Cruz das Almas-BA, Recôncavo Baiano. A partir dos dados de precipitação anual, aplicou-se a técnica de Quantis, classificando os anos de acordo com o índice pluviométrico anual como muito seco, seco, normal, chuvoso e muito chuvoso. Em seguida, os anos foram agrupados de acordo com o regime pluviométrico e, assim, realizado o balanço hídrico pelo método de Thornthwaite & Mather (1955), utilizando o valor de 100 mm como capacidade de água disponível. O estudo realizado demonstra a importância do estudo da precipitação para se obter um bom planejamento agrícola. O município estudado apresenta uma média anual de precipitação de 1131,17 mm, apresentando período de chuva bem definido, compreendendo os meses de março a agosto. A prática da irrigação se apresenta como alternativa viável para produção agrícola nos períodos de deficiência hídrica, principalmente nos anos classificados como secos e muito secos.

Characterization of the spatial variability of vegetative vigor in vineyards can help improve the performance of site-specific management practices, or the management of vineyards with different rates. Characterization using canopy proximal sensing has been a widely disseminated technique; however, vineyards in southeastern Brazil, where the utilization of annual double pruning results in a winter harvest, knowledge of the role of variability in improving vineyard management has not yet been applied. This study aimed to determine if post-veraison mapping of a normalized difference vegetation index could be used to assess the variability in grapevine vigor, water status, physiology, yield and berry quality attributes at harvest in an irrigated vineyard in southeastern Brazil. This normalized difference vegetation index was measured with an active canopy sensor, and spatial distribution maps over two growing seasons of a vineyard, managed on an annual double pruning basis, were generated. Attributes of physiological and technological berry maturation, leaf water potential, gas exchange, production, and fresh pruning weight were calculated. These normalized difference vegetation index maps allowed for the determination of variability in vegetative vigor and the productive potential of the vineyard; however, high levels of rainfall during the maturation period may reduce the potential of using these maps for determining berry parameters.

Variation in the spatial distribution of leaf chlorophyll content associated with the progression of the phenological cycle of crops may occur in cultivated areas as a result of the variability of environmental conditions and of the intrinsic properties of the plants. The objective of the present study was to model the trend in variation and assess the temporal stability of index of chlorophyll a, b, and total chlorophyll (Chla, Chlb, and Chlt, respectively), and to characterize the spatial distribution of Chlt index in grapevine cv. 'Chardonnay'. The assessments consisted of in situ measurements made with a portable meter in a commercial vineyard located in the municipality of Espírito Santo do Pinhal, state of São Paulo, Brazil, in the period between flowering and fruit maturation. Descriptive statistics were applied to the indices and regression models were fitted to ascertain the relationship of their mean variation with time. The temporal stability of Chlt index was estimated using Spearman's rank correlation analysis and thematic maps were created using geostatistical analysis and spatial estimation by ordinary kriging. The Chlb and Chlt indices were non-linearly associated with cycle progression and their decrease after the start of maturation was estimated. The temporal stability of the Chlt index was low and variation in its spatial distribution was observed over the assessed period.

The apparent soil electrical conductivity (ECa) is an attribute commonly used for the characterization of the spatial variability of soil, but its determination by handheld sensors consumes considerable time and labor. The reduction in the number of sampling points allows minimize them but can result in increased uncertainty of interpolated maps. Thus, the goal of this study was to identify the best spacing and number of ECa measurements, to guarantee the quality of maps generated in three vineyards. The ECa values were obtained using a handheld sensor in different sampling grids. The data were submitted to descriptive statistical and geostatistical analyses. The relative deviation and Kappa coefficient of agreement were used to assess the similarity of generated maps. The reduction in the number of points and increase in the size of the sampling grid reduced the quality of maps and this reduction was greater when the spacing increased in the direction of the terrain slope. A minimum limit of 100 sampling points should be considered for the sampling planning to generate ECa spatial distribution maps, with a more conservative approach when regarding the increase in spacing in the direction of the terrain slope.

The monitoring of chlorophyll content in grapevine leaves allows us to evaluate their N status, assisting with the information for the decision make about nutrient rate and application time to the vineyard. The present work aimed to propose an easy-to-use procedure for the calibration of a chlorophyll hand-held meter based on the NDVI homogeneous zones in a vineyard for the device readings and leaf sampling. We evaluated the wine grape ‘Chardonnay’ growing under drip irrigation in a vineyard located in the Southeast region of Brazil. Readings of the relative chlorophyll indices (a, b, and total) were taken in situ four times throughout the 2019 growing season, with the device placed on two leaves of every 40 pre-selected target plants in two homogeneous zones of NDVI previously defined in the vineyard. Subsequently, the chlorophyll and leaf nitrogen contents were determined in laboratory to relate them to the chlorophyll meter readings through generalized estimation equations. The chlorophyll meter is capable of estimating the levels of chlorophyll a, b and total by the models generated with an error of 0.98, 0.58, and 1.47 µg ml-1 cm-2 for calibration and of 1.03, 0.67, and 1.49 µg ml -1 cm-2 for prediction, respectively. The functions developed for the leaf N content present calibration error of 1.49 g kg-1 and prediction error of 3.39 g kg-1, but capable of providing an estimate when error is less than the amplitude of nitrogen sufficiency.

Vegetation indices (VIs) are quantitative measures used to describe the distribution and spatial variability of the vegetation cover of natural or cultivated areas. The aim of this study was to delimit homogeneous zones (HZs) of different VIs using geostatistics and multivariate analysis in order to identify vegetation patterns in Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards. The evaluation was performed in two vineyards in the municipality of Espírito Santo do Pinhal in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Reflectance (ρ) was measured at three wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum (670, 730, and 780 nm) at canopy height in georeferenced points along planting rows using the Crop Circle ACS-430 active sensor. Nine VIs were calculated based on the ratios between the ρ values. Geostatistical data analysis allowed the spatial prediction of VIs by ordinary kriging interpolation. Principal component analysis and fuzzy k-means clustering were applied for HZs delimitation and the optimal number of zones was defined according to cluster validity functions. Despite the variations of the VIs spatial distribution patterns, the multivariate analysis resulted in a representative categorization of the grapevine vegetative vigor and delimitation of HZs for this characteristic. This was validated according to the observed significant differences between VIs.