With the increasing global demand for energy, more attention has been directed to the production of oilseed plants as alternative energy sources, being irrigation one of the technologies used to increase yield. This research aimed to evaluate the effect of different soil water tensions and respective moisture depletions on castor bean (AL Guarany 2002 cultivar). The experimental design was randomized blocks, with five soil water tensions (15 kPa, 30 kPa, 45 kPa, 60 kPa and 75 kPa) and four replications. The water use efficiency (WUE) and yield were evaluated according to the soil water tension and respective moisture depletion. The soil coverage factor and plant height were also evaluated during the crop cycle, being respectively observed increases up to 125 and 200 days after transplanting. The WUE, following the order of racemes produced - primary (WUE P), secondary (WUE S), tertiary (WUE T) and total for the crop (WUE C) - decreased linearly with the increasing water stress, being the highest values observed for the treatment with the lowest tension (15 kPa). For all irrigation treatments, the highest WUE and yield were observed in secondary racemes. The highest yield was 1,994.14 kg ha-1, for the tension of 15 kPa and soil moisture depletion of 28%, while the lowest one was 773.91 kg ha-1, for the tension of 75 kPa and soil moisture depletion of 83%.
Ricinus communis L.; irrigation management; soil coverage factor; soil moisture depletion
