Aspectos ecofisiológicos de cafeeiros (Coffea arabica L.) em produção arborizados com diferentes leguminosas no Sul de Minas Gerais

Abstract

Coffee shaded with leguminous trees has been indicated as an alternative crop system in unfavorable environments. The objective of this research was to characterize ecophysiological aspects of Arabic coffee in that agroforestry system by evaluating gas exchanges, plant growth, microclimate, leaf nitrogen and production from dec/2002 to dec/2003 in the rainy and in the dry seasons. Coffee (Coffea arábica L. cv. Oeiras) was intercropped with alleys of Acácia mangium Willd., Leucaena leococephala (Lam.) De Wit. and Cajanus cajan (I.) Millsp. The first coffee cultivation lines from the east and west side of the leguminous alley and the third line of the west side of each alley were evaluated. These last cultivation lines receive biomass from the pruning of the leguminous trees. The results indicatethat L. leococephala competes with coffee for soil and atmospheric resources. The best results of gas exchanges, water status and production were verified for the cultivation lines of the west side of the alley of A. mangium and for the first lines of the east and west side of C. cajan alley, evidencing that the presence of those leguminous trees in the coffee plantation can benefit the yield and the environment of coffee in shaded system with leguminous trees.