Technical and economical evaluation of drip irrigation application in a coffee field located at Lavras - MG was the objective of this study. Data from an experiment carried out with the "Acaiá Cerrado"(MG 1474) cultivar, growing in a 3.0 x 0.6 m spacing was analyzed. An experimental design with randomized blocks, corresponding to 5 irrigation treatments (L0 - no irrigation, and water depths corresponding to L1 - 100%, L2 - 80%, L3 - 60% and L4 - 40% of Class A Pan evaporation), was used. Each block, corresponding to an irrigation treatment was divided in order to test three different schedules of N and K application along the period from October to March (3, 6 and 9 applications). Production data from 3 harvests, 1998/1999, 1999/2000 and 2000/2001, were combined in order to accomplish the economical analysis. Irrigated farming costs were analyzed based on production cost theory. According to this analysis, one can conclude that, for all irrigation treatments, variable costs, mainly with materials, were the ones which burdened most the final cost of the coffee. When considering fixed costs, the items which affected most the production costs were machines and implements. All treatments applied reflected good agronomic standards, since the mean yield for all treatments was 54 bags ha-1. An average of 68 bags ha-1 was achieved by the irrigation treatment receiving a water depth corresponding to 100% of the evaporation from the Class A Pan. For the economic scenario considered in this analysis, in which coffee price was R$ 120.00 per bag, the application of an irrigation schedule with replacement of 100% of Class A Pan evaporation is the most recomendable.
Coffea arabica L.; irrigation; economic analysis
