Berry distributions on coffee trees cultivated under high densities modulate the chemical composition of respective coffee beans during one biannual cycle

Abstract

ABSTRACTCoffee trees show the fluctuation in production related to biannual phenological development. We aimed to quantify the berry distribution over the vertical profile and relate the chemical composition of coffee beans during few subsequent harvests in each of two production years (PY). The analyzed coffee productions followed severe pruning of plants grown in different planting designs. In the second PY, coffee plants loaded roughly fourfold more berries than the first PY. In the first PY, berry distribution in zones of plagiotropic axes that passed all physiological phases was characterized by random maturation over three harvests, while in the second PY, berry maturation over the orthotropic and plagiotropic axes differed between two harvests, suggesting higher impact of local light microclimate and, consequently, local source–sink relations. Proteins, sucrose, and lipids were the most sensitive studied chemical components when modifications in coffee beans composition were analyzed, considering the impacts of PY, harvest time, planting design, and berry position. Sucrose content increased in latter harvests, indicating better berry maturation compared to the first harvest in both PY. Protein and caffeine contents increased and lipids decreased in higher density and low plant layer during the second PY, suggesting that deposition of those components was modified by self-shading and maturation time related to the berry position over the plant profile.