A cultura do café é de expressiva importância no mercado internacional, com uma produção anual de cerca de 120 milhões de sacas beneficiadas e no Brasil, é responsável pela geração de mais de dez milhões de empregos diretos e indiretos. O estresse hídrico é um fator ambiental que pode ser extremamente prejudicial para a cultura do café, sendo que a seleção de cultivares tolerantes é de grande importância, principalmente diante da expansão da cafeicultura brasileira para áreas consideradas marginais para o cultivo do café por estarem sujeitos à deficiência hídrica. Nesse trabalho foram avaliadas 15 cultivares de Coffea arabica quanto ao status hídrico e às características da estrutura interna das folhas, verificando quais dessas cultivares são potencialmente mais eficientes em tais condições. Dentre as cultivares estudadas destacam-se a Bourbon Amarelo e a Catimor como potencialmente mais eficientes em condições de estresse hídrico por possuírem: maior potencial hídrico, cutícula mais espessa, maior proporção de parênquima paliçádico, maior espessura da nervura central e maior densidade estomática em relação às demais variáveis. Dessa forma, as cultivares Bourbon Amarelo e Catimor são potencialmente mais eficientes na redução da transpiração, fotossíntese e translocação de fotossintatos em condições de estresse hídrico, sendo mais indicadas ao plantio em regiões sujeitas a maiores déficits hídricos em relação às demais cultivares estudadas. Coffee yield has a great importance to the international market with a 120 million 60-kilogram bags and in Brazil it produces 10 million of direct and indirect jobs. Water stress is one of the most important factors to the crop yield, and so, the selection of tolerant cultivars is of great importance in the places under water stress. In this work, 15 Coffea arabica cultivars were evaluated about the water status and leaf anatomy to indicate the most tolerant Cultivars under water stress. The Bourbon Amarelo and Catimor were the most efficient under water stress, because these varieties have thicker cuticle, more palicade parenchyma, bigger central bundle sheath, and higher stomatal density. So, these Cultivars can be more potentially more efficient to reduce the transpiratory rate, to improve the photosynthesis and photosynthates translocation under water stress, and these varieties can be more indicated under water stress against the other cultivars

This study aimed to establish a strategy for drought-tolerant selection in Arabica coffee genotypes in Brazil, combining field trials under natural conditions with controlled growth condition experiments. A group of genotypes was evaluated in the greenhouse using 28 morphological, anatomical, and physiological traits. In addition, the productivity of genotypes was evaluated in the field. Under water deficit in the greenhouse, 13 studied traits showed significant genetic variance. For these traits, the heritability coefficients estimated based on the progeny mean ranged from 65 to 92%. A selection index combined with predicted means was applied at these traits to select four progenies for drought tolerance under greenhouse conditions. Under field conditions, the selection applied to genetic values that favored positive genetic gains in four progenies, indicating the potential use of these cultivars for breeding advanced generations. The selection results of coffee plants under greenhouse conditions matched the selection results in the field in a water-deficit region by 50% based on productivity; thus, two genotypes (H419-3-3-7-16-11 and H516-2-1-1-7-2) were identified that have both the productivity and morpho-anatomical traits that confer greater drought tolerance. Finally, we discussed possible strategies for the development of drought-tolerant cultivars.

A ferrugem-alaranjada causada por Hemileia vastatrix é a principal doença da cafeicultura em abrangência e danos. O desenvolvimento de cultivares resistentes e/ou tolerantes às pragas e doenças tem papel importante no aumento de produtividade e diminuição de custos de produção. Dessa forma, objetivou-se com este trabalho disponibilizar informações da reação à ferrugem e cercosporiose de dez cultivares comerciais de Coffea arabica em duas importantes regiões cafeeiras de Minas Gerais. Os experimentos foram conduzidos em duas importantes regiões cafeeiras do estado de Minas Gerais (Sul de Minas e Alto Paranaíba), sendo implantados em áreas experimentais públicas, na Fazenda Experimental da Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecuária de Minas Gerais (Epamig), em Patrocínio-MG e no Campus Experimental da Universidade Federal de Lavras (Ufla), em Lavras-MG. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos casualizados, com três repetições, com parcelas de 10 plantas, tendo sido considerada como parcela útil apenas as seis plantas centrais. O espaçamento adotado foi de 3,5m entre linhas x 0,70 m entre plantas. As avaliações da incidência e severidade da ferrugem e incidência de cercosporiose foram realizadas mensalmente, nos meses de janeiro a agosto de cada ano (safras 2011/2012 e 2012/2013). Os percentuais de incidência das doenças foram transformados em área abaixo da curva de progresso da incidência e severidade da ferrugem (AACPIF, AACPSF) e incidência da cercosporiose (AACPIC), de acordo com critérios estabelecidos por Campbell e Madden (1990). A cultivar Oeiras apresenta perda total de resistência à ferrugem, a cultivar Catiguá MG2 apresenta imunidade ao patógeno da ferrugem e as cultivares em estudo não apresentam resistência à cercosporiose.

The adaptive potential of plants is commonly used as an indicator of genotypes with higher breeding program potential. However, the complexity and interaction of plant metabolic parameters pose a challenge to selection strategies. In this context, this study aimed to explore phenotypic plasticity within the germplasm of Hybrid Timor coffee. Additionally, we assessed the utility of the multivariate phenotypic plasticity index (MVPi) as a promising tool to predict genotype performance across diverse climatic conditions. To achieve this, we evaluated the performance of seven accessions from the Hybrid Timor germplasm in comparison to the Rubi and IPR 100 cultivars, known for their susceptibility and resistance to drought, respectively. The experiment took place in a greenhouse under two conditions: one with normal soil moisture levels near maximum capacity, and the other with a water deficit scenario involving a period of no irrigation followed by rehydration. Data on physiological and biochemical factors were collected at three stages: before applying the water deficit, during its imposition, and after rehydration. Growth data were obtained by the difference between the beginning and end of the experimental period Furthermore, field evaluations of the productivity of the same genotypes were carried out over two consecutive seasons. Based on physiological and biochemical assessments, the MVPi was computed, employing Euclidean distance between principal component multivariate analysis scores. Subsequently, this index was correlated with growth and productivity data through linear regressions. Our findings reveal that the plastic genotypes that are capable of significantly altering physiological and biochemical parameters in response to environmental stimuli exhibited reduced biomass loss in both aerial and root parts. As a result, this positively influenced their productivity. Enhanced plasticity was particularly prominent in accessions from the MG Germplasm Collection: MG 311—Hybrid Timor UFV 428-02, MG 270—Hybrid Timor UFV 377-21, and MG 279—Hybrid Timor UFV 376-31, alongside the Rubi MG 1192 cultivar. The MVPi emerged as a valuable instrument to assess genotype adaptability and predict their performance under varying climatic scenarios.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the productivity and beverage sensory quality of arabica coffee under the influence of tree species cultivated at different spacings. The experiment was set in 2012, in the municipality of Santo Antônio do Amparo, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. A randomized complete block design was carried out with four replicates and seven treatments, as follows: Catuaí Vermelho IAC 99 Coffea arabica in monoculture (3.40x0.65 m); and this cultivar intercropped at two spacings (9.0x13.6 and 18.0x13.6 m) in the coffee row ‒ either with African mahogany (Khaya ivorensis), teak (Tectona grandis), or pink cedar (Acrocarpus fraxinifolius). Three coffee rows were fixed between rows, totaling 13.6 m between the wooded rows. Productivity, sensory analysis (cup test), and content analysis of sensory attributes were evaluated in the 2017 and 2018 crop years. The treatments and years of harvest influenced productivity. The sensory analysis was positive for coffee intercropped with African mahogany and teak, in 2018. Sensory attributes and nuances are modified by the years of harvest. Arabica coffee plants intercropped with African mahogany show a superior productivity, regardless of the spacing between species, as well as a higher sensory quality in the 2018 harvest.