Coffee fruits are highly competitive compared to other functional sink organs. This can affect the vegetative growth of the shoot, dry mass partitioning, and the size and amount of healthy beans. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate changes in vegetative growth, physical and sensory attributes of the coffee bean, and total crop yield in response to varying fruit load at the tree level established under full-sun cultivation. The experiment was carried out for two consecutive years under field conditions with coffee trees of the cultivar “Cenicafé 1.” Nine different fruit load intensities at the whole-plant level of 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100% were evaluated. The vegetative growth of leaves and branches, leaf area-to-fruit ratio, and dry mass accumulation were evaluated, and growth indices were calculated. Total coffee fruit production, size and distribution of healthy beans, and sensory analysis were determined. As expected, for coffee trees with a 100% fruit load, we found significant decreases in the total number of leaves, leaf area-to-fruit ratio, and branch growth; less dry mass allocated to leaves and branches with a negative correlation between this and the fruit dry mass accumulation; and lower distribution of large and healthy beans. Unexpectedly, annual and accumulated patterns of total production and sensory quality of coffee beverage were not affected by the high fruit load. The findings suggest that increased fruit load in coffee trees of the “Cenicafé 1” variety led to changes in vegetative growth, dry mass partitioning, and physical quality of the beans. However, there was no impact on production patterns and sensory attributes.

Soil waterlogging is an environmental limitation that is promoted by changes in rainfall patterns and negatively affects plant physiology, growth, and development, coffee production, and exports in Colombia. The objective of this research was to evaluate responses in growth, water status, and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters for plants under different waterlogging conditions. The evaluations were carried out on six-month-old “Cenicafé 1” variety seedlings that were suitable for establishment in the field. The seedlings were subjected to different waterlogging periods: 4, 8, 12, and 16 days, using a completely randomized block experiment design with 30 replicates. Total dry mass (TDM), total leaf area (TLA), and the total number of leaves (TNL) were performed, and growth indices were calculated. The leaf water potential (Ψ_pd and Ψ_md), maximum efficiency of photosystem II-F_V/F_m, and electron transport rate (ETR) were also measured. Waterlogging for 16 days caused a 57% reduction for TDM, which was significant starting at 4 days. Statistical differences in the TLA were detected after 12 days, with decreases of 29%. The Ψ_pd, Ψ_md, F_v/F_m, and ETR were sensitive to waterlogging, which decreased noticeably after 8 days. The results indicated the physiological performance and growth of the coffee cv. “Cenicafé 1” plants were significantly affected by waterlogging conditions after eight days.

In Coffea arabica L., the processes of flowering and fruiting unfold over time as a series of phenological events influenced by both biotic and abiotic factors. This sequence governs the plant’s reproductive cycle, directly affecting vegetative growth, crop productivity, and beverage quality. This review comprehensively addresses the developmental phases and provides descriptions of flower and fruit morphology, factors influencing flowering and fruiting, and competition for resource allocation, all of which are approached from a phenological perspective informed by the extended Biologische Bundesanstalt, Bundessortenamt and CHemical industry (BBCH) scale. The structural and emerging challenges that affect the sustainability of coffee cultivation should be effectively addressed to provide a foundation that supports the design of integrated strategies for the optimization of agronomic practices, increased yield, and genetic improvement.

Los cultivos de tomate y papa son productos agrícolas de gran importancia a nivel mundial por su valor nutricional e industrial. La distribución de fotoasimilados en los órganos vertederos de estos cultivos depende en gran medida del metabolismo y partición de carbono generado en los procesos fotosintéticos, en la dinámica tanto de los órganos fuente y vertedero como en la actividad de enzimas vinculadas al metabolismo de azúcares, así como factores ambientales y nutricionales. Basado en esto, el objetivo de este documento fue revisar y discutir sobre el conocimiento actual de la distribución de los fotoasimilados en los órganos vertederos y los factores que pueden afectar este mecanismo en los cultivos de tomate y papa. De acuerdo con la información recopilada en artículos de investigación y de revisión recientes, se reporta que alrededor del 80% o 90% de los fotoasimilados producidos en los órganos fuentes en los cultivos de tomate y papa son transportados o translocados hacia los órganos vertederos de interés comercial (frutos y tubérculos). Tanto el desbalance en fuente/vertedero, así como el estrés hídrico y nutricional, en especial, deficiencias de nitrógeno y potasio afectan significativamente la distribución y transporte de los fotoasimilados. En contraste con los efectos de la calidad de la luz puede mejorar la carga de fotoasimilados en los órganos vertederos y mejorar atributos de la calidad como aumento en el tamaño de los frutos y concentración de azucares. Sin embargo, aún faltan más investigaciones que corrobore este efecto bajo condiciones de campo o en invernadero en las condiciones del trópico.