Abstract
ABSTRACT The cycle pruning programmed is a reinvigoration technique widely employed in Conilon coffee. This strategy may also be adopted for Arabica coffee to increase its crop longevity and yield. In this scenario, the present study proposes to examine the influence of the cycle pruning programmed on the vegetative and productive development of Arabica coffee. The experiment was developed in the field as a randomized-block design with four replicates. Treatments were tested in a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement consisting of four stem densities (4000, 8000, 12000 or 16000 stems ha-1) and two management strategies for the removal of plagiotropic branches (annual or biennial removal of branches which had reached 70% or more of their production capacity). For some variables, the treatments were organized as a 4 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement in which the last factor corresponded to two regions of data collection in the plant (upper or lower). For all factorial arrangements, an additional treatment (control) was employed corresponding to traditional pruning (recepa). Annual or biennial removal of plagiotropic branches which had attained 70% or more of their production capacity can be adopted with no losses to crop yield. The cycle pruning programmed improves the distribution of branches, increases canopy area and prevents the occurrence of the “naked neck” phenomenon, observed in control treatment. Additionally, it provides better agronomic and productive performance; therefore, it can be used as a substitute for recepa.
Highlights
Decreased vigor and yield are known effects in Arabica coffee after a few production cycles
For the variables stem diameter (SD), plant height (PH) and grain yield (GY), the treatments were organized in a 4×2 factorial arrangement with an additional treatment, consisting of four stem densities (4000, 8000, 12000 and 16000 stems per hectare) and two management strategies for the removal of plagiotropic branches
The factorial arrangement was represented by the combination of four stem densities, two management strategies for the removal of plagiotropic branches and two regions of data collection in the plant
Summary
Decreased vigor and yield are known effects in Arabica coffee after a few production cycles In this regard, the yield bienniality issue, characterized by annual alternation between high and low yields, is commonly attributed to a reduction of plant reserves during highyielding harvest years that causes the yield in the following year to be low due to lower plagiotropic branch development. The annual variation may occur as a result of defoliation caused by pests and diseases, since their incidence is favored by the energy depletion of the plant (Oliveira et al, 2012) In this situation, not even practices such as densification or irrigation are capable of changing this behavior (Pereira et al, 2011; Scalco et al, 2011). Decote is a type of pruning aimed at lowering plant height by cutting the stem apex, whose height ranges from 1.60 to 2.60 m from the soil (Japiassú et al, 2010; Pereira et al, 2013; Silva et al, 2016)
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