Abstract
Assessing and prescribing fertilizer use is critical to profitable and sustainable coffee production, and this is becoming a priority concern for the Robusta coffee industry. In this study, annual survey data of 798 farms across selected Robusta coffee-producing provinces in Vietnam and Indonesia between 2008 and 2017 were used to comparatively assess the fertilizer management strategies in these countries. Specifically, we aimed to characterize fertilizer use patterns in the key coffee-growing provinces and discuss the potential for improving nutrient management practices. Four types of chemical (NPK, super phosphate, potassium chloride and urea) and two of natural (compost and lime) fertilizers were routinely used in Vietnam. In Indonesia, NPK and urea were supplemented only with compost. Farmers in Vietnam applied unbalanced quantities of chemical fertilizers (i.e., higher rates than recommended) and at a constant rate between years whereas Indonesian farmers applied well below the recommended rates because of poor accessibility and financial support. The overuse of chemical fertilizers in Vietnam threatens the sustainability of Robusta coffee farming. Nevertheless, there is a potential for improvement in both countries in terms of nutrient management and sustainability of Robusta coffee production by adopting the best local fertilizer management practices.
Highlights
Coffee is one of the top-traded agricultural commodities worldwide [1,2]
There is a potential for improvement in both countries in terms of nutrient management and sustainability of Robusta coffee production by adopting the best local fertilizer management practices
We documented the management of fertilizers in Robusta coffee farms across selected provinces in Vietnam and Indonesia during the 2008–2017 period
Summary
Coffee is one of the top-traded agricultural commodities worldwide [1,2]. It is cultivated in over countries and covers more than 11 million ha around the world [3]. Producing healthy coffee plants throughout the growth cycle, during sensitive phenological stages (flowering, cherry development, and bean filling) requires sufficient levels of mineral nutrients such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in the soil to avoid any nutrient stress [7,8]. This pre-supposes suitable environmental conditions (air temperature, water availability, intensity of sunshine, soil type, wind and land topography) and other management practices (such as pest and disease control and pruning) [5,9].
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