Produção do cafeeiro em resposta a irrigação e métodos de aplicação do lithothamnium.

Abstract

Irrigation allied to an adequate fertilization it’s a combination that improves crop yield and crop quality, and also provides conditions for achieving a better product, with higher commercial value. This study was carried out in order to evaluate the effects of irrigation management and lithothamnium application methods over coffee yield. The field experiment was conducted in the Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, at the Gloria experimental farm, in Uberlândia, MG. Five different irrigation depths, corresponding to different fractions (0, 140, 80, 120, 160%) of the evaporation from a class A pan (ECA), and two different lithothamnium application methods (soil and leaf application) were used as treatments. A totally randomized block design with split-plots, and with four replications, was used. Plots receiving the same irrigation depth were split by application method. Coffee yield, relative production and coffee beans density were evaluated. It was concluded that coffee irrigation is highly recommended fort the “Triangulo” region of Minas Gerais and that lithothamnium foliar application is more effective.