Water restriction significantly affects coffee (<em>Coffea arabica</em> L.) production. The study of a few agronomic techniques that optimizes water use can generate technologies for mitigating the effects of climatic variations on coffee crops. The aim of this study was to indicate agronomic techniques that mitigate the effects of water restriction on coffee crops. For this end, we analyzed the morphophysiological changes in coffee plants cultivated in a greenhouse with different types of fertilizers and soil conditioners and under two levels of irrigation. The evaluations were conducted 130 days after planting, assessing the morphological and physiological characteristics of the plants. We also quantified soil moisture in the different treatments. The water restriction expressively hindered plant growth. The use of controlled release fertilizers and soil conditioners, especially coffee husk, is indicated for mitigating water restriction in coffee crops.
The use of water-retaining polymers may be a feasible alternative in regions with low water availability, as they has enhance the performance of coffee plants with more favorable anatomical characteristics to make physiological processes more efficient. However, the advantages of such use have been scarcely reported. Here, we studied the feasibility of using a water-retaining polymer to optimize irrigation water use during the establishment of a coffee plantation. A randomized block design was used in a factorial scheme (4 × 2) with three replications for a total of 24 experimental plots, each consisting of four pots, with one plant per unit. The experiment was installed in a greenhouse at the
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