<b>Growth effects of water excess on coffee seedlings (<i>Coffea arabica</i> L.)

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the interference of water excess in soil on the growth of young coffee plants of the Mundo Novo and Catuaí cultivars.Plants were subjected to the following three different substrate water availability conditions: control (well-watered), continuous substrate waterlogged, and intermittent substrate waterlogged. Several growth-related traits were evaluated over the course of 19 weeks. Based on the number and quality of the affected variables from all forms of analyses, the Catuaí cultivar showed greater sensitivity to waterlogging. Both cultivars exhibited growth inhibition in response to substrate waterlogging stress, which was exacerbated by premature leaf dropping.

Keywords

• soil waterlogging
• hypoxia
• mundo novo cultivar
• catuaí cultivar