Organic and organic-mineral fertilization of coffee shrubs by drip irrigation

Abstract

Several technologies have been used to improve and optimize coffee production, especially those using organic and mineral fertilizers. An experiment, featuring randomized block design with four replicates and four treatments, was conducted to evaluate the effect of organo-mineral fertilizer associated with chicken manure on mineral nutrition, growth and productivity of irrigated coffee and cultivated under savanna conditions. Biometric aspects and productivity were evaluated. Results show organo-mineral fertilizers are feasible for coffee culture since they guarantee the favorable properties of organic matter and prevent lack of uniformity of nutritional sources of exclusively organic fertilizers. Organo-mineral fertilizers alone or in combination provides the same coffee yield as that with chicken manure. However, absolute productivity increase was higher by up to 10% in four harvests when compared with results obtained by the application of an exclusive organic source.