Critical water availability factor for the initial growth of Conilon coffee

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the behavior of relative transpiration and the initial growth of conilon coffee as a function of the decrease in the fraction of transpirable water in the soil (FATS). Three experiments were carried out in a greenhouse using plants 30, 60 and 90 days after planting. In each experiment, two treatments were applied (T0 - without water deficit and Td - water deficit), conducted in a completely randomized design, containing four replications. The end of the experiment was determined when the Td plants reached 10% of the relative transpiration of the T0 treatment. The variables analyzed were: relative perspiration, height, leaf area and perspiration coefficient. It was concluded that young plants had greater sensitivity to the deficit, starting the reduction of transpiration in 0.85 of FATS, whereas the plants of 60 and 90 days showed a reduction in values of 0.76 and 0.65, respectively. In the three experiments, the Td plants showed a lower transpiration coefficient.

Keywords

• déficit hídrico. fats. robusta tropical.