Water Management of Arabica Coffee Seedlings Cultivated with a Hydroretentive Polymer
The production of high-quality coffee seedlings is essential to meet the demands of the coffee sector, requiring more efficient and sustainable water management practices. In this context, the use of hydroretentive polymers, particularly biodegradable ones, emerges as a promising alternative to opti...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/1/218 |
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| author | Mateus Oliveira Silva Vanessa Reniele Souza de Arruda Francisco Raylan Sousa Barbosa Michel Wakim Mendes Firmino Adriene Woods Pedrosa Fernando França da Cunha |
| author_facet | Mateus Oliveira Silva Vanessa Reniele Souza de Arruda Francisco Raylan Sousa Barbosa Michel Wakim Mendes Firmino Adriene Woods Pedrosa Fernando França da Cunha |
| author_sort | Mateus Oliveira Silva |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The production of high-quality coffee seedlings is essential to meet the demands of the coffee sector, requiring more efficient and sustainable water management practices. In this context, the use of hydroretentive polymers, particularly biodegradable ones, emerges as a promising alternative to optimize water use, reduce the environmental impact associated with synthetic polymers, and improve the agronomic traits of seedlings. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of different irrigation intervals and hydroretentive polymer doses on the water consumption and agronomic characteristics of <i>Coffea arabica</i> L. seedlings. This study was conducted in a protected environment using a randomized block design with split plots and four replicates. The plots consisted of two irrigation intervals (2 and 4 days), and the subplots included four doses of hydroretentive polymer (0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, and 1%), applied in 0.5 dm<sup>3</sup> polypropylene bags. Results showed that the 0.5% polymer dose combined with a 2-day irrigation interval resulted in the highest water consumption, while the combination of 0% polymer and a 4-day irrigation interval led to the lowest water consumption. The 0.25% hydroretentive polymer dose with irrigation every 2 days showed the best performance in gas exchange, promoting photosynthesis without causing water saturation. This management also promoted better seedling growth, increasing biomass, height, leaf area, and root volume compared to longer irrigation intervals. The crop coefficients (Kc × Ks) were 0.20, 0.28, and 0.45 during the periods of 0–50, 51–80, and 81–150 days after sowing, respectively. A dose of 0.25% hydroretentive polymer with a 2-day irrigation interval is recommended for the production of Arabica coffee seedlings, contributing to agricultural practices aligned with environmental preservation and productive efficiency. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fbe59be50ca14f68b6b5e5af39b6d2e6 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj-art-fbe59be50ca14f68b6b5e5af39b6d2e62025-01-24T13:17:13ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952025-01-0115121810.3390/agronomy15010218Water Management of Arabica Coffee Seedlings Cultivated with a Hydroretentive PolymerMateus Oliveira Silva0Vanessa Reniele Souza de Arruda1Francisco Raylan Sousa Barbosa2Michel Wakim Mendes Firmino3Adriene Woods Pedrosa4Fernando França da Cunha5Department of Agronomy (DAA), Federal University of Vicosa (UFV), University Campus, Peter Henry Rolfs Avenue, Vicosa 36570-900, MG, BrazilDepartment of Agricultural Engineering (DEA), Federal University of Vicosa (UFV), University Campus, Peter Henry Rolfs Avenue, Vicosa 36570-900, MG, BrazilDepartment of Agronomy (DAA), Federal University of Vicosa (UFV), University Campus, Peter Henry Rolfs Avenue, Vicosa 36570-900, MG, BrazilDepartment of Agricultural Engineering (DEA), Federal University of Vicosa (UFV), University Campus, Peter Henry Rolfs Avenue, Vicosa 36570-900, MG, BrazilDepartment of Agronomy (DAA), Federal University of Vicosa (UFV), University Campus, Peter Henry Rolfs Avenue, Vicosa 36570-900, MG, BrazilDepartment of Agricultural Engineering (DEA), Federal University of Vicosa (UFV), University Campus, Peter Henry Rolfs Avenue, Vicosa 36570-900, MG, BrazilThe production of high-quality coffee seedlings is essential to meet the demands of the coffee sector, requiring more efficient and sustainable water management practices. In this context, the use of hydroretentive polymers, particularly biodegradable ones, emerges as a promising alternative to optimize water use, reduce the environmental impact associated with synthetic polymers, and improve the agronomic traits of seedlings. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of different irrigation intervals and hydroretentive polymer doses on the water consumption and agronomic characteristics of <i>Coffea arabica</i> L. seedlings. This study was conducted in a protected environment using a randomized block design with split plots and four replicates. The plots consisted of two irrigation intervals (2 and 4 days), and the subplots included four doses of hydroretentive polymer (0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, and 1%), applied in 0.5 dm<sup>3</sup> polypropylene bags. Results showed that the 0.5% polymer dose combined with a 2-day irrigation interval resulted in the highest water consumption, while the combination of 0% polymer and a 4-day irrigation interval led to the lowest water consumption. The 0.25% hydroretentive polymer dose with irrigation every 2 days showed the best performance in gas exchange, promoting photosynthesis without causing water saturation. This management also promoted better seedling growth, increasing biomass, height, leaf area, and root volume compared to longer irrigation intervals. The crop coefficients (Kc × Ks) were 0.20, 0.28, and 0.45 during the periods of 0–50, 51–80, and 81–150 days after sowing, respectively. A dose of 0.25% hydroretentive polymer with a 2-day irrigation interval is recommended for the production of Arabica coffee seedlings, contributing to agricultural practices aligned with environmental preservation and productive efficiency.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/1/218biodegradable polymer<i>Coffea arabica</i> L.germinationhydrogelirrigation interval |
| spellingShingle | Mateus Oliveira Silva Vanessa Reniele Souza de Arruda Francisco Raylan Sousa Barbosa Michel Wakim Mendes Firmino Adriene Woods Pedrosa Fernando França da Cunha Water Management of Arabica Coffee Seedlings Cultivated with a Hydroretentive Polymer Agronomy biodegradable polymer <i>Coffea arabica</i> L. germination hydrogel irrigation interval |
| title | Water Management of Arabica Coffee Seedlings Cultivated with a Hydroretentive Polymer |
| title_full | Water Management of Arabica Coffee Seedlings Cultivated with a Hydroretentive Polymer |
| title_fullStr | Water Management of Arabica Coffee Seedlings Cultivated with a Hydroretentive Polymer |
| title_full_unstemmed | Water Management of Arabica Coffee Seedlings Cultivated with a Hydroretentive Polymer |
| title_short | Water Management of Arabica Coffee Seedlings Cultivated with a Hydroretentive Polymer |
| title_sort | water management of arabica coffee seedlings cultivated with a hydroretentive polymer |
| topic | biodegradable polymer <i>Coffea arabica</i> L. germination hydrogel irrigation interval |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/1/218 |
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