Determination Biomass, Yield and Income from Intercropping Models of Coffee (Coffea canephora Pierre) with Perennial Trees in Tropical Climate

Abstract

We evaluated 4 Robusta coffee intercropping models (Coffea canephora Pierre var. Robusta) with perennial trees on Rhodic ferrasol soil and tropical climate at Ea Yong commune, Krong Pac district, Daklak province, Vietnam. These are models: sole coffee, intercropping coffee with Siamese cassia (Cassia siamea Lam.), intercropping coffee with durian (Durio zibethinus Murr.) 9 x 9 m and intercropping coffee with durian 9 x 6 m. Research objective: to evaluate the ability to return biomass to soil over the years and additional income when intercropping fruit trees. The result: green biomass increases from 71.6 tons.ha-1 to 101.4 tons.ha-1 (intercrop coffee with Siamese cassia) or to 176.4 tons.ha-1 (intercrop coffee with durian 9 x 9 m) or to 178.6 tons.ha-1 (intercrop coffee with durian 9 x 6 m); the yield in the intercrop model of coffee with durian (9 x 9 m) reduced by 300 kg.ha-1 of dry coffee beans and by 1,000 kg.ha-1 in the model of coffee with durian (9 x 6 m) compared with sole coffee (4,120 kg.ha-1). However, these models produced between 22 and 23 tons.ha-1 of durian fruits, which brought about high income and large green biomass. At present, planting sole coffee or intercropping with forestry trees are mainly, it is recommended that farmers intercrop coffee with perennial fruit trees.