WATER CONSUMPTION AND WATER USE EFFICIENCY OF CASTOR BEAN PARAGUA ú CULTIVAR SUBMITTED TO NITROGEN FERTILIZATION

Although the productivity of castor bean reduces under water deficit it is considered resistant to low precipitation conditions, thus constituting an alternative form of income for the semi-arid. The scarce information about the effect of nitrogen fertilization on water consumption and efficiency of use motivated this study. The study was conducted in a greenhouse located at the Federal University of Campina Grande – Campus I, with plants arranged in a factorial design with three replications and five treatments, totaling fifteen experimental units, which consisted of five nitrogen levels (40, 80, 120, 160 and 200 kg ha-1). Analyzing the phytomass, water consumption and water use efficiency it was observed that the cultivar phytomass increases, water consumption and water use efficiency with the levels of nitrogen, indicating an elevated efficiency on the conversion of water used into dry matter.