Arabica coffee yields and profitability improved by reducing the spacing within the rows

Abstract

Plant spacing influences the yield of Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica L.) cultivars and affects profitability; however, there are few studies on it. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the yield and economic performance of Arabica coffee cultivars at different plant spacings. The experiment, conducted in Mandaguari, Paraná, Brazil, used a randomized block design with three replicates of seven plants in a split‐plot scheme. The treatments were eight cultivars (IPR 98, IPR 99, IPR 100, IPR 102, IPR 103, IPR 106, IPR 107, and Mundo Novo IAC 376‐4) at 2.75‐m inter‐rows and four plant spacings within the rows (0.45, 0.60, 0.75, and 0.90 m). The experiment was conducted between 2016 and 2020. Revenue, cost, and profit indicators were considered in the economic analysis. In general, the yields of the cultivars at closer spacings of 0.45 and 0.60 m were higher than at wider spacings of 0.75 and 0.90 m. Different plant spacing influenced the yields of IPR 98, IPR 102, and IPR 103 cultivars. High yields (>90 green coffee 60‐kg bags ha–1) were achieved with IPR 98, IPR 99, IPR 102, and IPR 103 cultivars, particularly IPR 98, which yielded 7,002.60 kg ha–1 at a spacing of 0.45 m. At 0.45‐m spacing, the IPR 98 cultivar presented the best economic result, with a positive impact on profitability.

Comparison of iron application ways in coffee seedlings

“…Increasingly, producers are using new coffee cultivars that are more tolerant to pests and diseases and have a higher yield potential. To choose a cultivar, producers aim to increase grain yield and reduce the cost of farming and be resistant to pests, nematodes, diseases, heat and drought (Pereira et al, 2022). Some cultivars, such as Obatã IAC 1669-20, seek to meet some requirements of producers; this cultivar was bred and has some desirable characteristics such as short height; good secondary branching, large, red fruits with medium to late maturation, and moderately resistant to rust (Guerreiro Filho et al, 2006;Resende et al, 2021).…”