Coffee breeding based on root traits is important to identify productive genotypes under adverse environmental conditions. This study assessed the diversity of root traits in Coffea canephora and its correlation with plant height and crop yield. Undisturbed soil samples were collected down to 60 cm from 43 coffee genotypes, in which one of them was propagated by seed and all others by stem cutting. The roots were washed, scanned, and processed to quantify root length density, root volume, root superficial area, and root diameter. Additionally, plant height and crop yield were also assessed. Root length density ranged from 40 to 1411 mm cm−3, root volume from 6 to 443 mm3 cm−3, root superficial area from 61 to 1880 mm2 cm−3, and root diameter from 0.6 to 1.1 mm. Roots were concentrated in the topsoil (0–20 cm) for most genotypes. In deeper depths (30–60 cm), root length density, root volume, and root superficial area were higher in genotypes 14, 25, 31, and 32. Positive correlations were found between root traits and both plant height and crop yield. The results of this work may contribute to the overall cultivation of C. canephora, specially for crop breeding in adverse environmental conditions.

Diversos fatores podem influenciar no acúmulo de matéria seca no cafeeiro, como o manejo nutricional e a fase fenológica da planta. Objetivou-se avaliar o número de frutos e o teor de matéria seca em frutos, folhas e ramos plagiotrópicos de Coffea canephora, adubado e não adubado nas condições da Amazônia Ocidental. O experimento foi conduzido em lavoura clonal, com delineamento experimental de blocos casualizados, em esquema de parcelas subdivididas no tempo. As parcelas principais foram constituídas por dois manejos de adubação e as subparcelas acomodaram as épocas de avaliação. Foram feitas coletas de ramos produtivos desde o estádio fenológico do fruto chumbinho até a maturação. Avaliou-se o número de frutos por ramo, matéria seca total de frutos por ramo, matéria seca por fruto, matéria seca de folhas e a matéria seca de ramo plagiotrópico. Para as condições avaliadas a adubação mineral não diferiu o número de frutos e teor de matéria seca dos órgãos. A curva de acúmulo de matéria seca no fruto ajustou-se ao modelo sigmoidal e houve acréscimo evidente a partir do 56º dia da floração, posterior à fase de queda significativa de frutos chumbinho. Nos ramos plagiotrópicos também ocorreu aumento linear no teor de matéria seca durante a fase reprodutiva, ao contrário das folhas, que se averiguou decréscimo de matéria seca.

The objective of this study was to evaluate nutrient concentrations in the flowers, leaves (pre-flowering and grain-filling period), grains, and husks of Robusta coffee genotypes cultivated in the Amazon region, as well as to identify their genetic diversity. This experiment was carried out in Alta Floresta D’Oeste, Rondônia, Brazil, in randomized blocks with three replications; for the leaves, a factorial experimental design of sampling periods was included. The nutrient concentrations of the different evaluated organs were subjected to analysis of variance by the F test (p < 0.01), and the genetic parameters were estimated. To determine the genetic diversity, the genotypes were grouped by the UPGMA hierarchical method, and to predict it the relative importance of traits was analyzed. Genetic divergence among Coffea canephora genotypes was indicated by the leaf nutrient concentrations. At a maximum dissimilarity threshold of 82% for the genotypes, the UPGMA method formed six groups. Concentrations of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in the leaf sampling periods of pre-flowering and grain filling were not influenced by genotypes. The leaf and flower iron (Fe) concentrations contributed most to genetic divergence. For a nutritional diagnosis of Robusta coffee, it is important to take into account the comparisons of genetic diversity as well as the nutritional requirements during the flowering and grain-filling periods.

Objetivou-se avaliar substratos e tipos de cortes nas estacas para produção de mudas clonais de cafeeiro canéfora. O experimento foi conduzido em casa de vegetação. As estacas foram obtidas a partir da porção média de ramos ortotrópicos padronizados. O experimento foi em esquema fatorial 2x7 com dois tipos de cortes nas estacas (corte basal retilíneo e em bisel) e sete substratos: solo, comercial, palha de café, maravalha (resíduo de madeira processada), comercial+palha de café (v:v), comercial+maravalha (v:v) e maravalha+palha de café (v:v). Verificou-se que o substrato comercial Vivato Slim quando acrescido ou não de palha de café, bem como o corte basal retilíneo em estacas de Coffea canephora apresentam melhores resultados para produção de mudas clonais nas condições estudadas no presente trabalho.

This work aimed to evaluate the variability in the distribution of the root system among genotypes of C. canephora cv. Conilon and indicate management strategies for a more efficient mineral fertilization. Root distribution was evaluated in six genotypes. The experimental design was in randomized blocks with three replications. Soil monoliths measuring about 27 cm3 were collected at six different soil depths, at three row distances and nine distances of inter-row planting. The collections were carried out in one plant of each repetition. In total, 1296 samples were evaluated. The roots were washed, digitized and processed to quantify length density, volume, surface area and diameter. The distribution of the root system was characterized using semivariograms. It was observed that the highest concentration of roots occurred in the distances close to the irrigation drippers. There was variation in the distribution of the root system among the genotypes. However, in general, the root system is concentrated at a depth of 0 to 20 cm in the soil, at distances up to 50 cm in the planting row and up to 60 cm in inter-rows. Therefore, the greatest efficiency in nutritional management can be achieved by applying fertilizers within a radius of 50 cm around the plant.