ABSTRACT. The present study was developed to respond to the need for an increase in crop yield in the mountain region of Caparaó (southern Espírito Santo State, Brazil), an area of traditional coffee production. This study aimed to analyze the diversity and characterize the crop yield of genotypes of Coffea arabica L. with potential for cultivation in high plant density systems. In addition, it also aimed to quantify the expression of agronomic traits in this cultivation system and provide information on the genotypes with the highest cultivation potential in the studied region. The experiment followed a randomized block design with 16 genotypes, four repetitions, and six plants per experimental plot. Plant spacing was 2.00 x 0.60 m, with a total of 8333 plants per hectare, representing a high-density cultivation system. Coffee plants were cultivated until the start of their reproductive phenological cycles and were evaluated along four complete reproductive cycles. Genotypes with high crop yield and beverage quality, short canopy, and rust resistance were selected. C. arabica genotypes showed variability in almost all characteristics. It was possible to identify different responses among genotypes grown in a high plant density cultivation system. Although the chlorophyll a content was similar among genotypes, the genotypes Acauã, Araponga MG1, Sacramento MG1, Tupi, and Catuaí IAC 44 showed a higher chlorophyll b content than the other genotypes. Among these, Sacramento MG1 also showed high leafiness and growth of vegetative structures, whereas Araponga MG1, Pau-Brasil MG1, and Tupi showed high fruit production. In addition, Araponga MG1 had also a higher and more stable crop yield over the years.

This study investigated the severity of leaf rust and brown eyespot in genotypes of Coffea arabica L. cultivated with high plant density in the region of Caparaó-ES. The experiment was conducted in a competition field, cultivated with high plant density (8333 plants per hectare), following a randomized block design, with 16 genotypes and four replications. The plants were evaluated during consecutive harvests to study two complete reproductive cycles (from 2010 to 2012). Data were obtained for the phenologicalstages of flowering, graining, maturation and vegetative rest of each cycle. The severity of leaf rust (Hemileia vastratrix) and brown eyespot (Cercospora coffeicola) was evaluated using descriptive scales. It was observed that the genotypes are able to keep a considerable level of resistance to the leaf rust and brown eyespot when cultivated with increased density. The genotypes presented variability regarding the severity of the leaf rust and brown eyespot, indicating the existence of differential levels of resistance between them. For cultivation with high plant density, the genotypes Katipó, Paraíso MG H419-1, H419-3-3-7-16-4-1-1

The objective of this research was to group C. canephora cv. Conilon coffee genotypes of different ripening cycles for both efficient absorption and utilization of N, P and K in contrasting environments. The experiment was arranged in a factorial scheme 13x4, with fours replicates, the factors being: 13 genotypes of Conilon coffee and four types of fertilization (NPK: 0%-100%-100%, 100%-0%-100%, 100%-100%-0% and 100%-100%-100% of the level recommended). The results indicated that conilon coffee genotypes have efficiencies to absorb and use N, P, K modulated by the availability of these nutrients in the soil, furthermore it was possible to assume that conilon coffee genotypes of early ripening cycle have high joint efficiencies of absorption and utilization in environment with adequate NPK supply. To optimize the nutritional management, the genotypes 67 and 76 would be recommended for plantations with low technological potential to better exploit their efficiencies of absorption and use of N, P and K; and the genotypes 02, 48 and 67 would be recommended for crops with high technological potential where, besides the nutritional efficiency, their responsiveness could be explored. For breeding programs, it is recommended the exploitation of conilon genotypes 02 and 67, for presenting simultaneously high absorption and utilization efficiency of NPK.

The renovation of Arabica coffee crops located in mountain regions should be based on the use of new improved genotypes and increased plant density, which require the establishment of an adequate pruning system. Little is known about the response of improved genotypes to pruning, therefore this study was done to evaluate the vegetative and reproductive recovery after pruning of genotypes of Arabica coffee cultivated in environment with high plant density, in order to identify how the different patterns of recovery may influence the crop after pruning. The experiment was developed in Espírito Santo state (Brazil), where 16 genotypes of Arabica coffee were cultivated in a randomized block design, with four repetitions (six plants per plot) and pruned after their fourth harvest. The 2-years period after pruning was evaluated to quantify the potential recovery and variability of behavior were found, making it possible to identify groups of genotypes of different behavior regarding the green coffee yield, grain size, growth rate and formation of new vegetative structures. The results show that not all genotypes recovered in the same speed after pruning, being possible to highlight some genotypes with better performance post-pruning. This fact shows the importance of genetic factors; more specifically the recovery, growth and coffee yield aft er the intervention; should not be ignored when deciding on the best method to renew the plantation. The decision on which cultivar and which pruning method to use should be a rational choice, based on the possible synergy between those technologies.

Este trabalho objetiva selecionar clones de café conilon para colheita mecanizada. O estudo foi realizado em uma lavoura comercial no município de São Mateus. Os cafeeiros foram plantados em um espaçamento de 3,5 entre linhas de cultivo e 0,5 entre plantas. Foram avaliadas as características: Produtividade em sacas de 60kg beneficiadas por hectare (sc.ha-1); Desfolha em kg de massa foliar desprendida das parcelas após a colheita (kg.ha-1); porcentagem de plantas mortas por parcela (%). A colheita mecanizada foi por meio de uma colhedora de café da marca CaseIH modelo Coffee Express 200. Aplicou-se os modelos lineares mistos em blocos completos com 27 genótipos, duas repetições, duas colheitas, e dois ambientes. Estimaram-se os componentes de variância, valores genéticos preditos e os intervalos de confiança.  A diversidade genética dos clones foi analisada com base nos valores genéticos por meio da matriz de distâncias estatísticas de Mahalanobis seguido do agrupamento UPGMA e de Tocher Modificado. Não ocorreu interação dos genótipos com o ambiente. Os clones Tardio 9, Tardio 2, Intermediário 9, Precoce 6 e Tardio 3 apresentaram as maiores produtividades e baixa mortalidade de plantas. A maior distância estimada foi 37,56 entre os acessos Tardio 9 e Intermediário 7 e a menor foi 0,00 entre os acessos Tardio 1 e Precoce 6. O agrupamento de Tocher formou sete grupos nos quais os clones Tardio 9, Tardio 6, Precoce 2 e Intermediário 9 ficaram isolados.