26To increase the sustainability of irrigated cultivation, the use of soil coverings can favor 27 the reduction of water consumption. Thus, the aim of this research was to characterize the 28 carrot collection (cultivar Brasília) grown under different irrigation water depths and 29 different soil cover conditions. The experiment was conducted at the Federal University 30 of Viçosa, MG. The experimental design was a randomized block in a factorial scheme.
31Five percentages of the water capacity of the soil (20, 40. 60, 80 and 100%) were applied 32 using tensiometry, and three cultivation environments without cover (control), white 33 colored polyethylene, and biodegradable semi kraft paper. Soil and leaf temperature, 34 number of plants, root length, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and fresh 35 root mass were evaluated. Then, the analysis of variance was performed using the F test.
36For comparison of means, the Tukey test (P ≤ 0.05) was used. For the regression analysis, 37 the equation with the largest significant fit was chosen. According to the results, the use 38 of semi kraft paper is an option in the cultivation of carrots. The use of semi-kraft paper 39 is an option for growing carrots better than white polyethylene. Levels up to 60% of the 40 actual water capacity in the soil showed positive results in the carrot production. 41 42 48Brazil is the fifth largest world producer of carrots (5) and the crop is considered 49 one of the four most important vegetable crops in the country. In 2017, the world 50 production of carrot was 42,831,598 tons (6) in Brazil alone, the 2018 harvest reached 51 about 14,077 kg ha, with emphasis on the state of Minas Gerais (7).
52The irrigation of carrots, like most vegetables, increases and improves the quality 53 of the product, moreover, it is an important factor in determining the production (5).With 54 an adequate application of the amount of water, the water needs of the harvest are 55 supplied, reducing the proliferation of pests, diseases and leaching of nutrientes (8).
56Hence, irrigation planning and management must be adopted to obtain maximum 57 efficiency and preserve the carrot's high economic value in the market (9).
58In order to favor the reduction of evapotranspiration and, thus, reduce the irrigation 59 necessary for agricultural crops, some soil coverings can be used. The technique of 60 covering the soil with organic or inorganic materials forms a physical barrier to limit 61 evaporation of water from the soil, it also maintains a good soil structure and protect crops 62 from contamination in contact with the soil (10).
63According to (11) soil cover with polyethylene film is still the most used in 64 vegetables by producers and this is due to the relatively low price of polymer materials 65 and durability. Despite this, there are several types of paper with potential for use as soil 66 cover, among which stand out the alternative papers, such as semi-kraft, recycled, paper 67 for printing newspapers and paper produced from cane straw sugar...