Title:	Optimal economic water regime for cowpea production.
Authors:	SANTOS, T. O. da S. ANDRADE JUNIOR, A. S. de SOUZA, H. A. de PEREIRA, L. da S. CASTRO JÚNIOR, W. L. SOUSA, R. S. de
Affiliation:	THEULDES OLDENRIQUE DA SILVA SANTOS, UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO PIAUÍ; ADERSON SOARES DE ANDRADE JUNIOR, CPAMN; HENRIQUE ANTUNES DE SOUZA, CPAMN; LAÉRCIO DA SILVA PEREIRA, UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO PIAUÍ; WADY LIMA CASTRO JÚNIOR, INSTITUTO FEDERAL DO MARANHÃO; RICARDO SILVA DE SOUSA, UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO PIAUÍ.
Date Issued:	2025
Citation:	Semina: Ciências Agrárias, v. 46, n. 6, p. 1917-1930, nov./dez. 2025.
Description:	Rational irrigation management maximizes crop productivity, optimizes water-use efficiency as a production factor, and enhances economic indicators in irrigated areas. In this study, we determined the optimal economic water regime for cowpea production using economic indicators. The experiments were conducted at the Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária experimental area in Teresina, PI, Brazil in 2021 and 2022. The treatments consisted of five irrigation depths, which were calculated as percentages of crop evapotranspiration and cumulative rainfall. Irrigation regimes were 227.90, 241.10, 274.40, 300.80, and 318.40 mm·cycle–1 in 2021 and 133.80, 191.70, 249.00, 303.00, and 357.00 mm·cycle–1 in 2022. Irrigation management operations accounted for the largest share of total and effective operational costs. Rainfall reduced electricity and irrigation management costs, particularly in 2021. Regimes exceeding 274.40 mm·cycle–1 (2021) and 249.00 mm·cycle–1 (2022) increased yield, gross revenue, total and effective operational profits, benefit/cost ratio, profitability index, and break-even price, despite higher total and effective production costs. The regimes of 300.80 mm·cycle–1 (2021) and 303.00 mm·cycle–1 (2022) were demonstrated to be the most economically viable for cowpea production.
Thesagro:	Análise Econômica Custo de Produção Irrigação por Aspersão Manejo de Água
NAL Thesaurus:	Sprinkler irrigation Economic analysis Irrigation management Production costs
DOI:	https://doi.org/10.5433/1679-0359.2025v46n6p1917
Type of Material:	Artigo de periódico
Access:	openAccess
Appears in Collections:	Artigo em periódico indexado (CPAMN)