Economic viability of a drip irrigation system on carrot crop**

Abstract

In Brazil, there is a lack of information on the production of carrots via drip irrigation, both from the perspective of appropriate irrigation management and in relation to the economic feasibility of the technology of production. This study aimed to assess the economic feasibility of drip-irrigating carrot crops based on appropriate irrigation management. The experiment was established in open field beds in the experimental area at the Agricultural Department/UFLA, from June to October 2008. The experimental design was randomized blocks in a 2 x 6 factorial scheme, with four replications. The treatment levels were two carrot cultivars, the hybrid Optima F1 and the non-hybrid Alfa Tropical, and six soil water-tension values, i.e., 15, 25, 35, 45, 60 and 75 kPa. The economic analysis of the irrigated farming was based on production costs theory. According to this analysis, for all the treatment levels, variable costs were the costs that most affected the final cost of the carrots harvested. Under the experimental conditions, we recommend irrigation upon reaching a soil water tension of 15 kPa when using the Nantes cultivar and a tension of 25 kPa for the Nayarit F1 hybrid to obtain higher profitability in the productive activity. The costs of the resource variables were the largest final costs of carrot production in all the treatments, emphasizing the required inputs.