Delimitação de microrregiões agroclimáticas e suas relações com o potencial produtivo da cultura do eucalipto

Abstract

The objective of this research was to delimit agroclimatic favorable zones to the cultivation of eucalyptus. The study area encloses the extreme south of Bahia State to the Espirito Santo's central-mountainous, Brazil. Using data from 64 weather stations and based on temperature and pluviometric data, water balance was calculated, in order to estimate the variables potential evapotranspiration (ETP), actual evapotranspiration (ETR), crop water requirement index (ISNA = ETR/ETP) and crop water requirement index based on analysis of the frequency of highest values to 0,65 (ISNA65). Spatial maps were generated by the annual averages of these variables for the dry and rainy periods of the study area from the selection of interpolation of higher predictive capacity, elected by cross-validation. The agroclimatic zoning was elaborated using cluster analysis, based on the variables: ISNA65 and ETR of the dry period and annual temperature. The littoral zone wich are the best agroclimatic conditions during the dry period and is characterized by high values of ISNA65 (67,8%) and ETR (391) and the west region of Espirito Santo, showed the worst agroclimatic conditions.