IRRIGATED ARABICA COFFEE TREE PRODUCTIVITY IN THE CERRADO AREA OF THE GOIÁS STATE, BRAZIL

Abstract

The aim of this work was to evaluate irrigation effects on the productivity and income of coffee cultivars (Catuaí IAC 44, Acaiá Cerrado MG 1474, Rubi MG 1192, Topázio MG 1190, Oeiras MG 6851, and Katipó), in order to identify the potentiality for the irrigated coffee production in the Cerrado area, in the southwest region of the Goiás State. The coffee cultivars, planted with 3.50 m between rows, and 0.50 m between plants in the row, were evaluated without irrigation and irrigated with sprinkling and drip systems. The trial was conducted, from 2002 to 2006, at the Universidade Federal de Goiás, Jataí Campus, in the Goiás State, concentrating irrigation from May to September. The irrigation water management was controlled through soil water balance. The irrigation process doubled the productivity and decreased the processing yield rate, while no significant difference was found among the irrigation methods. The Katipó cultivar showed a significantly higher productivity rate, with a good potential to be cultivated on the region and no influence of the water supply system, i.e., without irrigation, sprinkle irrigation, or drip irrigation. The cultivar Acaiá Cerrado MG 1474 featured the lowest productivity rate.

KEY-WORDS: Coffea arabica; irrigated coffee; drip irrigation;  sprinkle irrigation.