Growth and leaf composition of coffee cultivars (Coffea arabica L.) in an agroforestry system in the microregion of Brejo Paraibano

Abstract

The importance of Brazilian coffee farming can be seen by the volume of production, domestic consumption, its share in exports and its capacity to generate employment and income. The use of suitable varieties is of fundamental importance for the success of any agricultural activity. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the vegetative growth and foliar composition of coffee cultivars in a caatinga enclaves moist forest in Paraíba. Twelve arabica coffee cultivars (Coffea arabica L.) were evaluated, distributed in a randomized block design (DBC), with 6 replications. The studied variables were: foliar nutrient analysis, plant height, stem diameter and number of plagiotropic branches. Statistical analysis was processed using Sisvar® software, and treatment means were compared using the Scott-Knott test. The tall and short cultivars, Mundo Novo IAC 379-19 and Catuaí Vermelho 144, respectively, present the best initial development results in terms of the parameters evaluated. However, further studies are needed to measure which cultivars will have the best performance and adaptability for production in the region. The nutrients N, K, Cu and Zn present in the leaf fraction showed levels below normal for most of the cultivars studied. This study provides important information about the biometric attributes of coffee cultivars in an agroforestry system under the conditions of Brejo Paraibano. This information can be useful in decision making for the choice of cultivars to be produced in this region.