Comportamento biofísico em cultivares de café arábica

Abstract

Coffee is one of the most appreciated and popular beverages globally. In Brazil, the largest producer and exporter of this commodity, coffee farming plays a crucial role as an agricultural activity, primarily focused on the cultivation of Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica L.). Although the coffee plant has adapted well to full-sun cultivation, it is a species native to the understory of tropical forests. The climatic variability in the country is considered the main driver of fluctuations and productivity declines in traditional coffee-producing regions. The interaction between crops and environmental factors, represented by various meteorological elements, affects growth and development at different stages of the crop. Therefore, environmental factors such as solar radiation play a fundamental role in the accumulation processes of energy derived from shortwave solar radiation. It is essential, therefore, to conduct studies on the development of this crop in different growing regions, as well as to select more adaptable and productive cultivars. Thus, the objective of this study was to analyze the influence of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), reflectance (r), transmittance (t), fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (fAPAR), and leaf area index (LAI) throughout the phenological cycle of Arabica coffee cultivars (Coffea arabica L.) in order to establish the relationship between vegetation and climate. The experiment was conducted in a coffee cultivar panel located at the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA), in Minas Gerais. The experimental area was divided into three blocks, each containing plots with ten plants of each Arabica coffee cultivar, totaling 30 different cultivars and 900 plants, of which 20 were used in this study. Data were measured between 10 am and 2 pm (GMT-4) using a ceptometer (AccuPAR LP-80, Decagon Devices Inc.). The temporal behavior of the biophysical parameters was observed, indicating whether there was recovery or degradation of the cultivars after harvesting, as well as selecting the cultivars that showed better recovery after the reproductive phase, and their relationship with productivity. Additionally, through the analysis of climatic data from the region, it was possible to identify the cultivars with higher tolerance to climate adversities.