Abstract
The ratio of nitrogen (N) to potassium (K) is important in the production of specialty coffees because the relative amounts of N and K can either suppress the formation or increase the concentration of compounds that are essential to the flavor and aroma of specialty coffees. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of different N:K ratios (w/w) and K doses on the cup quality of coffee. The concentrations of chemical compounds essentials to achieve good flavor and aroma, the N and K contents, and the caffeine contents of coffee leaves and beans were evaluated in this study. The N:K ratio and the K dose were found to be important factors in cup quality, the best quality corresponding to an N:K ratio of 1:1.56. The best cup quality was obtained from beans with greater PPO activity, caffeine, color index, and sugars and lower total tritatable acidity, pH, electrical conductivity and leached potassium.
Highlights
Nitrogen (N) fertilization is essential for highyield production of coffee, and N is the most required nutrient for vegetative growth and the second most exported to beans (CATANI; MORAES, 1958)
The potassium (K) requirement is commonly considered to be equivalent to the N requirement, even though, unlike N, K is mostly found in the pulp of coffee beans (MORAES; CATANI, 1964)
Production for treatments with N doses higher than that of the control treatment and K doses relatively close to the control dose (N:K 1:0.5 – 6.0 and 1.08 mmol L-1 of N and K and N:K 1:1 – 6.0 and 2.15 mmol L-1 N and K) were not significantly different of the production obtained for the control treatment, which suggests that the K dose, not the N dose, affected the production of cherry coffee (Table 2)
Summary
Nitrogen (N) fertilization is essential for highyield production of coffee, and N is the most required nutrient for vegetative growth and the second most exported to beans (CATANI; MORAES, 1958). The potassium (K) requirement is commonly considered to be equivalent to the N requirement, even though, unlike N, K is mostly found in the pulp of coffee beans (MORAES; CATANI, 1964). Mineral nutrients must be available in adequate quantities and at the right phases of plant growth to achieve good productivity and quality of agricultural products. Agronomy plants by fertilization has, over time, favored the achievement of high yields. Recent studies have associated mineral nutrition with the quality of the harvested product. Which is a perennial crop, the information available on the relation between mineral nutrition and quality is sparse
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