Coffee plants were regenerated from protoplasts isolated from embryogenic cell suspension cultures derived from somatic embryos of Coffea arabica L. cv. caturra. Yields of viable protoplasts ranged from 1×10(5) to 6×10(5) protoplast/g fresh weight. Protoplast preparations usually contained no contaminating cells, and when present, the number of cells never exceeded 0.1% of the total. Plating efficiencies of protoplast ranged from 1 to 10%. Embryogenic protocolonies obtained after several subcultures in a medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/l each of benzylaminopurine, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and naphtaleneacetic acid, were transferred to a medium lacking plant growth regulators. Well differentiated embryos were formed in selected protocolonies that contained many embryos-like structures. Approximately 70% of the somatic embryos developed into green rooted plantlets which were succesfully transferred to vessels containing sterilized scoria. Plants grown for two months in scoria were finally transferred to greenhouse.

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Coffee production between the first and second harvest presents a difference in the fruit load with the plant age that could affect the leaf gas exchange. This research aimed to evaluate the effect of the increase in fruit load that occurs between the first and second harvest of the Coffea arabica L. production cycle on the measured gas exchange, at the two phenological stages of the fruit. The accessions E057, E318, E338 and E554 were used, as well as a completely randomized design, with three replications, using the accessions as treatments and the harvest measurements during the production cycle as the repeated measures. The variables yield per tree, number of fruits, absolute growth rates for height and stem, leaf area, leaf-to-fruit ratio and leaf gas exchange were measured across the phenological stages of fruit filling and ripening. The increase in the fruit load that occurs with age in the second harvest, if compared to the first harvest, showed a positive and significant effect on the net assimilation rate that was not expected for the obtained leaf-to-fruit ratios. Likewise, the differences in the assimilation rates were higher during the fruit-filling stage. This result suggests that the source-sink relationship may vary with the crop age and fruit phenological stage, and is not entirely depend on the leaf-to-fruit ratio.

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