Coffee Agroforestry Systems (Diversity of shade trees)
Sistemas Agroforestales con Café (Diversidad de especies para sombrío)
How to Cite
Farfán-Valencia, F. (2020). Coffee Agroforestry Systems (Diversity of shade trees). Proceedings of Cenicafe´s Scientific Seminar, 71(1), e71124. https://doi.org/10.38141/10795/71124
After extensive research, the suggested planting density for low-growing varieties below 4,500 plants / ha and for tall varieties below 2,500 plants / ha is disproved. The sowing density is determined by five factors: the duration of the growth period, the duration of the production cycle, the environmental offer (climate and soils), the variety, and the architecture of the plants. This seminar presents the research results determining that the densities of shaded coffee plantations are between 6,000 and 8,000 plants / ha and that high densities also require short renewal cycles. The decision to renew or not renew the coffee is made by the coffee grower according to the state of deterioration and unproductivity of the crop. In practical terms, the optimum age for renewal of a coffee plantation of 10,000 plants / ha should be five years (fourth harvest), with 5,000 plants / ha it should be six years, and with low densities (2,500 plants / ha) it should be seven years. Finally, all equipment evaluation studies, since 1993, in order to record the coverage percentage from the revision of complex equipment to the construction of practical equipment and instruments for the profit of the coffee grower (Visual Shade Template (PSV), Cubic Densitometer (DD), Point Densiometer (DP)) are presented.
Author biography (See)
Francisco Farfán-Valencia, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones de Café