Abstract
Abstract The productivity of Arabica coffee in the Gayo Highlands, Aceh, Indonesia is far below its potential because of climate change and inadequate agricultural practices. To develop a strategy on sustainable coffee yield and improvements of smallholder farming systems, we investigated coffee productivity in three classes of shade densities and three classes of total management intensities index (TMI) along six altitude gradients (1,000–1,600 m above sea level) over 234 farmers’ plots. Coffee productivity was significantly affected by altitude, shade density, and TMI. Our results showed a stronger positive altitudinal effect with coffee productivity in middle and higher altitudes than in lower altitudes and were related to shade density and TMI. Increasing elevation of coffee plantation from lower to middle altitudes and shade from low to medium density increased in coffee productivity but further increase to higher altitude seemed to depress coffee productivity. Increasing TMI positively increased coffee productivity across altitudes. Shade density and TMI played significant roles in coffee productivity in lower altitudes; therefore, coffee farmers have to increase the shade to medium or higher density and at the same time improve plantation management to medium or high TMI.
Highlights
The productivity of Arabica coffee in the Gayo Highlands, Aceh, Indonesia is far below its potential because of climate change and inadequate agricultural practices
The lower coffee productivity in higher altitudes (>1,500–1,600 m asl) than those in middle altitudes (1,200–1,500 m asl) might be because of the cooler temperatures and lower incoming radiation that resulted in limiting coffee yield
Study of yield gap analysis of Arabica coffee in Costa Rica showed that altitudes and management practices were the limiting factor of coffee yield (Bhattarai et al 2017). These results showed that the area at higher altitudes would not always be the most potential area for coffee plantation in the future, concerning climate change
Summary
Abstract: The productivity of Arabica coffee in the Gayo Highlands, Aceh, Indonesia is far below its potential because of climate change and inadequate agricultural practices. To develop a strategy on sustainable coffee yield and improvements of smallholder farming systems, we investigated coffee productivity in three classes of shade densities and three classes of total management intensities index (TMI) along six altitude gradients (1,000–1,600 m above sea level) over 234 farmers’ plots. Coffee productivity was significantly affected by altitude, shade density, and TMI. Our results showed a stronger positive altitudinal effect with coffee productivity in middle and higher altitudes than in lower altitudes and were related to shade density and TMI. Increasing TMI positively increased coffee productivity across altitudes. Shade density and TMI played significant roles in coffee productivity in lower altitudes; coffee farmers have to increase the shade to medium or higher density and at the same time improve plantation management to medium or high TMI
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