Shading coffee trees has gained importance, especially among smallholders, as an option to improve the products' quality, therefore acquiring place at the specialty coffee market, where consumers are willing to give bonus for quality. This work aims to evaluate the influence of shade trees' spatial distribution among coffee trees' agronomic characteristics, yield, and beans and cup quality of shaded coffee trees. The experimental design consisted of completely randomized blocks with six repetitions and four treatments: coffee trees on shade trees planting rows, distant one meter from the trunk; coffee trees on shade trees planting row, distant six meters from the trunk; and coffee plants between the rows of shade trees, parallel to the previous treatments. The parameters analyzed were plant height, canopy diameter, plagiotropic branches' length, yield, coffee fruits' phenological stage, ripe cherries' Brix degree, percentage of black, unripe, and insect damaged beans, bean size, and beverage quality. Shade trees quickened coffee fruits' phenological stage of coffee trees nearest to them. This point also showed the best beverage quality, except for overripe fruits. The remaining parameters evaluated were not affected by shade trees' spatial distribution.

Maize intercropped with perennial green manure is an option to promote soil coverage, control weeds and recycle soil nutrients, in an organic system. This study aimed at evaluating the agronomic characteristics and yield of grains and organic maize straw intercropped with perennial green manures sown at different maize growth stages. A 3 x 2 + 1 factorial design was used, with three perennial species of green manure - calopogonium (Calopogonium mucunoides Desv.), tropical kudzu [Pueraria phaseoloides (Roxb.) Benth] and perennial soy [Neonotonia wightii (Wight & Arn) Lackey] - and two green manure sowing times - at the maize V4 (four expanded leaves) and VT (bolting) stages - plus a control treatment (maize monoculture). A randomized blocks design, with four replications, was used. Soil coverage, production of green manures dry matter and weeds, and maize growth and production variables were evaluated. The sowing of green manures at the V4 stage had a higher percentage of soil coverage, in relation to the VT stage. Calopogonium, when compared to the other green manure species, had the highest percentage of soil coverage (35.63 %) and dry matter (1.0 Mg ha-1). Perennial green manures grown intercropped with maize did not affect growth, grain yield and maize straw. However, they were not effective in suppressing weeds.

Este é um artigo publicado em acesso aberto (Open Access) sob a licença Creative Commons Attribution, que permite uso, distribuição e reprodução em qualquer meio, sem restrições desde que o trabalho original seja corretamente citado. Potencial fisiológico das sementes de genótipos de milho produzidas em sistema orgânico

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