Awareness of evapotranspiration (ET) and crop coefficient (K_c) is necessary for irrigation management in coffee crops. ET and K_c spatial variabilities are disregarded in traditional methods. Methods based on radiometric measurements have potential to obtain these spatialized variables. The K_c curve and spatial variability of actual evapotranspiration (ET_a) were determined using images from Landsat 8 satellite. We used images of young and adult coffee plantations from OLI (Operational Land Imager) and TIRS (Thermal Infrared Sensor) sensors over a two-year period. Evapotranspiration was estimated using the Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL). Moreover, the reference evapotranspiration (ET_o) was estimated through the Penman-Monteith method. We obtained the values for the evapotranspiration fraction (ET_f), analogous to K_c, according to ET and ET_o values. The study was conducted in Buritis, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, in areas cropped with Coffea arabica irrigated by central pivots. A comparative analysis was made using different statistical indices. Average ET_a was 2.17 mm d⁻¹ for young coffee plantations, , and the K_c mean value was 0.6. For adult coffee plantations, average ET_a was 3.95 mm d⁻¹, , and the K mean value was 0.85. The ET and K data obtained based on the SEBAL algorithm displayed similar values to studies that used traditional methods. This model has huge potential to estimate ET of different stages of coffee plantation for the region studied.

The current research aims to analyse theoretically and evaluate a self-manufactured simple design for subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) emitter to avoid root and soil intrusion. It was composed of three concentric cylindrical elements: an elastic silicone membrane; a polyethylene tube with two holes drilled on its wall for water discharge; and a vinyl polychloride protector system to wrap the other elements. The discharge of the emitter depends on the change in the membrane diameter when it is deformed by the water pressure. The study of the operation of this emitter is a new approach that considers mechanical and hydraulic principles. Thus, the estimation on the membrane deformation was based on classical mechanical stress theories in composite cylinders. The hydraulic principles considered the solid deformation due to force based on water pressure and the general Darcy–Weisbach head-loss equation. Twenty emitter units, with the selected design, were handcrafted in a lathe and were used in this study. The measured pressure/discharge relationship for the emitters showed good agreement with that calculated by the theoretical approach. The variation coefficient of the handcrafted emitters was high compared to commercial emitters. Results from field evaluations showed variable values for the relative flow variation, water emission uniformity and relative flow rate coefficients, but no emitter was obstructed. Therefore, the current emitter design could be suitable for SDI following further studies to develop a final prototype