Continuous Application of Compost and Green Manure Improves the Plant Growth and Productivity of Coffee Trees

ABSTRACT

Compost and green manure (GM) are alternatives to supply nutrients to agricultural crops with minimal environmental risks. Was determined the growth, productivity, and leaf nitrogen (N) of coffee plants as a function of the application of compost alone or combined with the GM Crotalaria juncea. During four production cycles, the coffee plants were fertilized with compost doses (25, 50, 75, and 100% of the N recommended dose). All doses with or without GM (3 t ha⁻¹). No interaction effects of compost/GM were found. The GM increased the plant height, canopy diameter (CD), plagiotropic branches number (PBN), and yield (bags of 60 kg ha⁻¹). The height, CD, PBN, number of buds (NB), yield, N leaf concentration (NLC), and floaters coffee percentage (FCP) was affected by the compost doses. A positive correlation was detected between plant growth and PBN, as PBN and NB with the yield. The results showed that by applying GM a higher height and lateral growth of the plant, more PBN, number of nodes (NN), and yield are obtained. The fertilization of coffee trees with compost 75% and 100% promotes plants with higher height, stem diameter, CD, PBN, NN, yield, and NLC, in addition to reducing the FCP.

KEYWORDS:

• Coffea arabica L.
• nitrogen
• plagiotropic branches
• plant growth
• organic production

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments to the Professor Paulo Roberto Cecon of the Departamento de Estatística of the UFV, to Mr. José Francisco Duarte, Mr. João Geraldo Pereira and Ms. Mariana barros - Staff of the Agroecology Laboratory of the Departamento de Agronomia of the UFV.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Universidade Federal de Viçosa, for the Doctoral degree studies of the First author.