Low levels of shade and climate change adaptation of Arabica coffee in southeastern Brazil

Abstract

Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world, and its international market has been growing for many years. Unfortunately, the Brazilian coffee production is threatened by high temperatures projected by climate change models. We evaluated three schemes of low levels of shade, which avoid the loss of production, as a strategy to adapt coffee to possible climate change. Additionally, as field measurements are expensive and often difficult to implement, we used numerical simulation to complement the evaluation. The microclimate simulator software Envi-met is a computer program often used to simulate urban environments, and we tested it on agriculture design. We verified that the shaded schemes assessed in the field decreased the air temperature in 0.6 °C in the studied period and reduced other possible climate stressors such as wind speed, radiation and raised air humidity in the dry period. Envi-met described the studied meteorological variable cycle very well, showing that combining numerical modelling and field research may be an important tool for planning the adaptation of the coffee sector to possible climate change, allowing growers choose a proper technique for their regions and environmental conditions. Finally, we highlighted the importance of planning the shade scheme on coffee areas in an interdisciplinary approach, including local climate evaluation to achieve a balance between temperature attenuation and production.

Arabica coffee and cedar tree: integrating biotic and abiotic drivers

“…In the early morning, these values were higher in coffee plants located nearer the trees than in those farther away from the hedges. In S2, an upward linear trend in the relationship between LT and D was observed only at 3:00 p.m. Light and temperature modulation by trees are important for coffee fields from an ecosystem point of view, especially in the prospect of climate change (Da Matta et al, 2018;Coltri et al, 2019).…”

“…Agroforestry systems are important forms of sustainable land use, with activities that may produce substantial environmental benefits, such as reducing the risk of extreme temperatures (Moreira et al, 2018;Coltri et al, 2019), promoting carbon sequestration and biomass accumulation (Meireles et al, 2019), nutrient cycling by means of a higher litter deposition (Galetti et al, 2018), and improving water use efficiency (Moreira et al, 2018;Padovan et al, 2018).…”

“…Under this artificial environment, light distribution and intensity are predominately homogeneous, much different from what is observed in field conditions. A tree-based system is characterized by uneven sunlight exposure and fluctuating temperatures throughout the day when compared to crops grown in full sun (Alves et al, 2016;Coltri et al, 2019), and this difference is more pronounced when trees are planted in hedges. With this type of tree arrangement, shading is tied to the positioning of the hedges in relation to the solar path as the Earth rotates and orbits the Sun.…”

Mudanças climáticas nos ecossistemas agrícolas e naturais: medidas de mitigação e adaptação

“…Este é um instrumento que vem sendo utilizado internacionalmente, mas para sua aplicação no Brasil são necessárias adaptações às caraterísticas dos remanescentes florestais e à realidade socioambiental de cada estado. Coltri et al (2019), avaliando formas de adaptar a cultura de café do sul do Brasil às mudanças climáticas, afirmam que é importante planejar o esquema de sombreamento da produção como forma de reduzir a temperatura na lavoura, a incidência de ventos e radiação, e aumentar a umidade do ar.…”

O Comércio Exterior De Produtos Agrícolas, E as Consequencias Gerados Na Degradação Do Solo E Do Meio Ambiente, No Período Compreendido Entre 2004 Á 2019: Aplicação Do Modelo De Regressão Linear Múltipla

“…Uma vez que dependendo da localidade e da variação climática, a arborização pode ser feita com espécies de valor comercial, como as frutíferas, agregando valor à lavoura cafeeira. Essa opção de cultivo são, também, mais sustentáveis do ponto de vista ecológico, por melhorarem as condições de umidade do solo, funcionarem como quebra-ventos diminuindo a incidência de doenças, apresentarem diferentes extratos arbóreos que podem funcionar como abrigo de controladores naturais de pragas, amenizarem extremos climáticos no microclima de plantio (COLTRI et al, 2019) e, principalmente, por representarem uma opção de ganho para o produtor e/ou aproveitamento de mão de obra na entressafra do café (ALVARENGA, 2000). Dessa forma, além de se tratar de uma alternativa ecológica e economicamente sustentável, a arborização dos cafezais contribui muito para evitar as adversidades das geadas sobre o cafeeiro.…”