The objective of this research was to evaluate three methods of irrigation management in the bean crop. The variety of black bean BRS Supremo was submitted to irrigation management by tensiometry, Class A pan method, and Penman-Monteith. The productivity of grains, number of grains per plant, grains per berry, weight of 100 grains, height of plants, total water depth and water use efficiency were evaluated. The method of the Class A pan promoted the largest accumulated water depth and the largest irrigation frequency. The tensiometry underestimated in 29.7 and 17.8% the total water depth estimated by the Class A pan method, and Penman-Monteith, respectively. The results demonstrated that there were significant differences for the productivity of grains, number of grains per berry and height of plants. The Class A pan method favored larger productivities, while the tensiometry took the economy of irrigation water, having, however, reduction of the productivity. Bean plants subjected to water deficit of 21 and 37%, respectively, in the vegetative and reproductive stages, have their productivity reduced by 29%. Water deficit of 22% in the reproductive stage reduces the productivity by 15%. There were no significant differences in the water use efficiency.
Phaseolus vulgaris L.; water requirement; Class A pan; Penman-Monteith method
