Impacts of water availability on macronutrients in fruit and leaves of conilon coffee

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the concentrations and accumulation of macronutrients in conilon coffee (Coffea canephora) fruit, and their concentrations in leaves, over two years, in irrigated and nonirrigated coffee plants. Three-year-old conilon coffee plants of the cultivar Emcapa 8111 genotype 02 were used. An experimental design was carried out in randomized complete blocks, in a split-plot arrangement, with 14 replicates. The main plot factor was irrigation versus nonirrigation of coffee plants, and the split-plot factor was different fruit and leaf collection times. Collections began 10 days after the beginning of flowering and were performed on average every 28 days, until full fruit ripening. At each sampling date, five plants per treatment were picked out, by collecting one plagiotropic branch by plant, separated into fruit and leaves. Each part was dried, weighed, and subjected to the chemical analysis. Macronutrient accumulations and their accumulation rates were determined. According to the regression analysis of the data, fruit macronutrient accumulation curves fit best to sigmoidal equations. Irrigation affects the macronutrient dynamics in fruit and leaves during the fruiting phase of conilon coffee, and increases the accumulation of nutrients in the plant tissues. The macronutrients found in greater quantities are N, K, and Ca, in fruit and leaves, regardless of the irrigation treatment.