Qualidade do café sob manejos de irrigação, faces de exposição solar e posições na planta

Abstract

Coffee is one of the most important non alcoholic beverages harvested in the field, exported under different ways and considered one of the most important commodities in the global market. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of different irrigation management on some qualitative features of fruits and grains of coffee plants in two sides of exposure to solar radiation (SPESR) and three positions in the plant in the first harvest after pruning. The experiment was conducted using randomized blocks in a split-plot design with four replicates. It was developed in Matão (SP), Brazil, in the 2010/2011 harvest season. The primary treatments were six different types of irrigation management: NI = no irrigation; CI = continuous irrigation all over the year; CI 14 A-19 M = CI, except from April 14 to May 19; CI 20 M – 24 J = CI, except from May 20 to June 24; CI 25 Jan – 30 Jl = CI, except from June 25 to July 30 and CI 31 Jl-04Sept = CI, except from July 31 to September 04. Secondary treatments were the SPESR: southeast and northwest. Ternary treatments were the position in the plant: upper third, mid third and lower third. The stages of fruit ripening and coffee rating by bean size, defects and tasting quality were evaluated. The irrigated and non irrigated coffee promoted the same increase in fruit ripening, however, the advance in maturation is observed from the upper to the lower third. Non irrigated and irrigated coffee plants promoted the same increase in total defects. Greater grains are obtained with sieve 16 in irrigated coffee plants and above the value in SPESR northwest over the mocha grain. In southeast SPESR, a higher increase in cherry fruit is observed, providing better quality of the beverage over total defects.