José Laércio Favarin

Photosynthesis, Chlorophylls, and SPAD Readings in Coffee Leaves in Relation to Nitrogen Supply

The export of nitrogen (N) from senescent plant parts is important for the efficient use of this macronutrient. The objective of this study was to establish correlations among the photosynthetic pigment content, total N, and the photosynthetic variables with the SPAD‐502 readings in Coffea arabica leaves. Correlations were established among the chlorophyll content, N content, and chlorophyll a and b with SPAD‐502 readings taken on coffee leaves at different months. The results show that all variables decreased with time. However, correlation increased linearly with N doses. Total chlorophyll presented a direct linear correlation with readings of the portable chlorophyll meter. The SPAD readings have shown to be a good tool to diagnose the integrity of the photosynthetic system in coffee leaves. Thus, the portable chlorophyll SPAD‐502 instrument can be used to evaluate the N status and can also help to evaluate the photosynthetic process in coffee plants.

Nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase activity in coffee leaves during fruit development

Nitrate reductase is the first enzyme in the pathway of nitrate reduction by plants, followed by glutamine synthetase, which incorporates ammonia to glutamine. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase activity, total soluble protein content, N and Ni content in coffee leaves during fruit development under field conditions to establish new informations to help assess the N nutritional status and fertilizer management. The experimental design was in randomized complete blocks, arranged in a 3xa0xxa06 factorial design, with five replications. The treatments consisted of 3 N rates (0 - control, 150 and 300xa0kgxa0ha-1) and six evaluation periods (January, February, March, April, May, and June) in six-year-old coffee (Coffea arabica L.) plants of Catuai Vermelho IACxa044 cv. The nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase activities, leaf soluble protein, and N concentrations increased linearly with the N rates. During fruit development, the enzyme activity, leaf soluble protein and N content decreased, due to the leaf senescence process caused by nutrient mobilization to other organs, e.g, to the berries. Leaf Ni increased during fruit development. Beans and raisin-fruits of plants well-supplied with N had higher Ni contents. Enzyme activities, total leaf N and leaf soluble protein, evaluated during the green fruit stage in March, were significantly correlated with coffee yield. These variables can therefore be useful for an early assessment of the coffee N nutritional status as well as coffee yield and N fertilization management.

Qualidade da bebida de café de frutos cereja submetidos a diferentes manejos pós-colheita

Oxa0objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a qualidade da bebida de cafe obtida de frutos cereja submetidos a diferentes praticas de manejo pos-colheita, considerando-se infeccoes iniciadas na planta e persistentes durante o tempo de exposicao as fontes infectantes. Admitiu-se que os graos de cereja recolhidos na planta tem maximo potencial de qualidade da bebida, avaliada por meio de testes rapidos e analise sensorial. Foram adotados oito tratamentos, formados pela combinacao de quatro manejos pos-colheita e frutos de cafe com e sem desinfeccao por cloreto de benzalconio. Axa0qualidade da bebida de graos de frutos cereja nao foi prejudicada pelo manejo pos-colheita, mesmo sob exposicao as infeccoes por ate 12xa0horas apos a derrica. Osxa0testes rapidos nao se correlacionaram com a analise sensorial da bebida, e o teste da condutividade eletrica foi mais sensivel que o da lixiviacao de potassio. Ambos indicaram alteracoes nos graos de frutos expostos as infeccoes apos seis horas da colheita. Axa0desinfeccao superficial dos frutos foi eficiente ate a primeira hora apos a imersao, diminuindo o numero de frutos infectados por Cladosporiumxa0sp., Penicillumxa0sp. e Alternariaxa0sp.

FERTILIZER 15N BALANCE IN A COFFEE CROPPING SYSTEM: A CASE STUDY IN BRAZIL

Knowledge about the fate of fertilizer nitrogen in agricultural systems is essential for the improvement of management practices in order to maximize nitrogen (N) recovery by the crop and reduce N losses from the system to a minimum. This study involves fertilizer management practices using the 15N isotope label applied in a single rate to determine the fertilizer-N balance in a particular soil-coffee-atmosphere system and to deepen the understanding of N plant dynamics. Five replicates consisting of plots of about 120 plants each were randomly defined within a 0.2 ha coffee plantation planted in 2001, in Piracicaba, SP, Brazil. Nine plants of each plot were separated in sub-plots for the 15N balance studies and treated with N rates of 280 and 350 kg ha-1 during 2003/2004 and 2004/2005, respectively, both of them as ammonium sulfate enriched to a 15N abundance of 2.072 atom %. Plant shoots were considered as separate parts: the orthotropic central branch, productive branches, leaves of productive branches, vegetative branches, leaves of vegetative branches and fruit. Litter, consisting of dead leaves accumulated below the plant canopy, was measured by the difference between leaves at harvest and at the beginning of the following flowering. Roots and soil were sampled down to a depth of 1.0 at intervals of 0.2 m. Samples from the isotopic sub-plots were used to evaluate total N and 15N, and plants outside sub-plots were used to evaluate dry matter. Volatilization losses of NH3 were estimated using special collectors. Leaching of fertilizer-N was estimated from deep drainage water fluxes and 15N concentrations of the soil solution at 1 m soil depth. At the end of the 2-year evaluation, the recovery of 15N applied as ammonium sulfate was 19.1 % in aerial plant parts, 9.4 % in the roots, 23.8 % in the litter, 26.3 % in the fruit and 12.6 % remaining in the 0_1.0 m soil profile. Annual leaching and volatilization losses were very small (2.0 % and 0.9 %, respectively). After two years, only 6.2 % N were missing in the balance (100 %) which can be attributed to other non-estimated compartments and experimental errors. Results show that an enrichment of only 2 % atom 15N allows the study of the partition of fertilizer-N in a perennial crop such as coffee during a period of two years.

Measurement and simulation of solar radiation availability in relation to the growth of coffee plants in an agroforestry system with rubber trees

Solar radiation is an important factor for plant growth, being its availability to understory crops strongly modified by trees in an Agroforestry System (AFS). Coffee trees (Coffea arabica - cv. Obata IAC 1669-20) were planted at a 3.4 x 0.9 m spacing inside and aside rows of monocrops of 12 year-old rubber trees (Hevea spp.), in Piracicaba-SP, Brazil (22o4230 S, 47o3800 W - altitude: 546m). One-year-old coffee plants exposed to 25; 30; 35; 40; 45; 80; 90; 95 and 100% of the total solar radiation were evaluated according to its biophysical parameters of solar radiation interception and capture. The Goudriaan (1977) adapted by Bernardes et al. (1998) model for radiation attenuation fit well to the measured data. Coffee plants tolerate a decrease in solar radiation availability to 50% without undergoing a reduction on growth and LAI, which was approximately 2m2.m-2 under this condition. Further reductions on the availability of solar radiation caused a reduction in LAI (1.5m2.m-2), thus poor land cover and solar radiation interception, resulting in growth reduction.

Assimilação foliar de enxofre elementar pela soja

The objective of this work was to evaluate the elementary sulfur (S0) assimilation applied on soybean leaves, and its efficiency compared to the fertilization done in the soil, according to the dose and nature of the nutrient source. The S0 applied to leaves, independently of the dose and source, was assimilated by the plant, what resulted in increase of total protein content in the leaf. All S sources applied to leaves increased the grain yield, similarly to the application to the soil. The same productivity was observed with the use of 20xa0kgxa0ha-1 of S0 in the soil or 6xa0kgxa0ha-1 applied to leaves. The elementary S application efficiency on leaves, based on the content of total soluble protein, was superior to application efficiency on soil.

Variação no teor de lipídios em grãos de variedades de Coffea canephora

The objective of this work was to investigate the variation of lipid content in beans from different varieties of Coffea canephora Pierre specie, from the Coffee Germplasm Bank, of Instituto Agronomico, Campinas, SP, Brazil. Samples of green coffee from 47xa0plants were analysed: Robusta (3), Kouilou or Conilonxa066 (13), Apoata (12), Guarini (8), Laurentii (7) and Bukobensis (4). Oil content was determined after a petroleum ether extraction. Results showed difference among the average lipid content in Kouilou, at 7.33% and Robusta, at 10.91%. Differences were also observed within plants from the six varieties ranging from 15.57% to 21.63%, for Apoata and Laurentii, respectively.

Características da semente em relação ao seu potencial fisiológico e a qualidade de mudas de café (Coffea arabica L.)

The main objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of arabic coffee seed characteristics in its physiological potential and overall seedling quality. The experiment described here consisted of six treatments, with four replications, in a completely random model, combined with a factorial outline (3x2). The two seed characteristics evaluated were size (3 sieves: 18/64, 20/64and 22/64) and mass (2 classes: heavy and light). The seeds were from Catuai Amarelo IAC 86 variety (Coffea arabica L.). The seed physiologic quality was evaluated by germination rate and initial population index. Seedling quality was estimated by the variables leaf area index, cotyledon leaves, plant height, stem diameter, and leaf, stem and root dry matter. The data analysis suggested that size separation although necessary is not sufficient for an appropriate selection for high seed physiologic potential and quality of seedling production. On the other hand, total mass amount, which represents a partial estimative of endosperm mass, is a fundamental characteristic to be considered. Therefore, the association of bots arabic Coffee seed size and mass aspects should be recommended as a technical procedure during seed selection process.

Analysis of Phosphorus Use Efficiency Traits in Coffea Genotypes Reveals Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora Have Contrasting Phosphorus Uptake and Utilization Efficiencies

Background and Aims: Phosphate (Pi) is one of the most limiting nutrients for agricultural production in Brazilian soils due to low soil Pi concentrations and rapid fixation of fertilizer Pi by adsorption to oxidic minerals and/or precipitation by iron and aluminum ions. The objectives of this study were to quantify phosphorus (P) uptake and use efficiency in cultivars of the species Coffea arabica L. and Coffea canephora L., and group them in terms of efficiency and response to Pi availability. Methods: Plants of 21 cultivars of C. arabica and four cultivars of C. canephora were grown under contrasting soil Pi availabilities. Biomass accumulation, tissue P concentration and accumulation and efficiency indices for P use were measured. Key Results: Coffee plant growth was significantly reduced under low Pi availability, and P concentration was higher in cultivars of C. canephora. The young leaves accumulated more P than any other tissue. The cultivars of C. canephora had a higher root/shoot ratio and were significantly more efficient in P uptake, while the cultivars of C. arabica were more efficient in P utilization. Agronomic P use efficiency varied among coffee cultivars and E16 Shoa, E22 Sidamo, Iêmen and Acaiá cultivars were classified as the most efficient and responsive to Pi supply. A positive correlation between P uptake efficiency and root to shoot ratio was observed across all cultivars at low Pi supply. These data identify Coffea genotypes better adapted to low soil Pi availabilities, and the traits that contribute to improved P uptake and use efficiency. These data could be used to select current genotypes with improved P uptake or utilization efficiencies for use on soils with low Pi availability and also provide potential breeding material and targets for breeding new cultivars better adapted to the low Pi status of Brazilian soils. This could ultimately reduce the use of Pi fertilizers in tropical soils, and contribute to more sustainable coffee production.

Nitrogen recovery efficiency for corn intercropped with palisade grass

Bragantia, Campinas, v. 77, n. 4, p.557-566, 2018 ABSTRACT: Intercropping corn and palisade grass is a technique to increase straw production, soil C contents, nutrient cycling and crop yield. However, concerns arise from nitrogen (N) uptake by the intercropping crop causing reduction in the yield of the corn. Our objective was to evaluate N recovery efficiency (NRE), and the N dynamics in the soil-plant system in corn intercropped with palisade grass. A field trial was carried out in Bahia, Brazil, evaluating two cropping systems: corn (monoculture) and corn intercropped with palisade grass sowed between rows on the same day as the corn crop, with four replicates in a completely randomized block design. Nitrogen (150 kg∙ha–1of 15N-urea) was applied at sowing to determine NRE, which means the amounts of N-fertilizer uptake in corn and palisade CROP PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT Article