Influence of Biochar and Biofertilizer Mixture on Coffea spp. Planted in an Agroforestry Ecosystem

Abstract

Coffee (Coffea spp.) is considered as one of the high-value commercial crops of the world. The study assessed the growth of mature and fruiting coffee in an already-established agroforestry ecosystems amended with biofertilizer, biochar, and vermicompost mixture. Field experiments were conducted on three coffee farms within the provinces of Laguna and Batangas, Luzon Island, Philippines (coded as Sta. Maria (Laguna), Lipa1 and Lipa2 (Batangas) with treatments: control, MYKORICH® biofertilizer (MRICH), 15% bamboo biochar (BB) and MRICH+BB. All trees were applied with one kg vermicompost per tree during the start of the experiment applied at 3-4 in below the soil surface, half m away from the base of the tree. MRICH+BB consistently gave a high significant increase of 221% stem diameter increment in Sta. Maria and 214% in Lipa2 after six months to three years. In Lipa1, BB treatment gave the highest increment (20.75 mm). Soil in Sta. Maria gave the highest spore count (136 per 50 g soil) when treated with MRICH. MRICH also promoted the highest nitrogen-fixing bacterial count (15.43 CFU x 106) in Lipa2. Highest fruit yield was gathered from MRICH+BB in Sta. Maria (2,010 g per tree) and Lipa1 (1,640 g per tree) while MRICH in Lipa2 (1,390 g tree). Positive effect was also observed on soil physico-chemical characteristics (OM, N, P, K, CEC) when inoculated with either MRICH or MRICH+BB treatments. These findings can be of significance to develop a low-input sustainable system on agroforestry soils using combined biofertilizers, biochar and vermicompost.