Macronutrients in leaves and fruits of dwarf arabica coffee cultivars

Macronutrient mobilization from leaves to fruits in dwarf arabica coffee cultivars was studied, through serial leaf and fruit samplings. The experiment was set in 1994 in a Rhodic Hapludox soil at Campinas, State of São Paulo, Brazil. Third leaf from the apex of reproductive branches with fruits was collected for macronutrient determinations in December 2002, February and May 2003. Ripe fruits were sun drayed being grain and husks milled separately for analysis. Except for calcium it was observed a decrease in the leaf macronutrient concentrations during the growing season fruit. Concentration of all macronutrients in the leaves was slightly higher for high yielding cultivars as compared to the medium yielding cultivars, except for Ca displaying higher concentrations in high yielding cultivars. Except for Ca concentrations in husks there was no difference in the concentration of macronutrients in husks and grains of the cultivars, despite their great difference in grain yield. There was an inverse relation ship between yield and relative mobilization index. Grain dry weight of higher yielding cultivars was produced with relatively less remobilization of N, P and K from the leaves.

leaf analysis; coffee cultivars; nutrient remobilization