Evaluation of Conilon coffee productivity intercropped with Ambarella (Spondias dulcis Parkinson)

Abstract

The State of Espirito Santo (Brazil) has 9.4 % of its area cultivated in full sun, monocrop coffee. Coffee has a great importance for the State and a dependence on just one product can make farmers vulnerable to price fluctuations. Integrating coffee (Coffea canephora Pierre ex Froehner) intercropped with Ambarella (Spondias dulcis Parkinson) offers environmental benefits and an extra financial combination through the commercialization of Ambarella fruits. The goal of this study was to verify the effects of the distance and orientation (East-West versus North-South) between Ambarella on coffee crop yield. We assessed two different coffee crops spaced (3 x 1.5) m. Both were intercropped with Ambarella spaced (15 x 7.5) m. The average coffee productivity varied from (2,177 to 7,346) kg plant-1. The lowest productivity was measured in the North-South orientation, during 2016, and the highest in the East-West orientation during 2017. Our findings also indicate that regardless of planting distance, Ambarella did not significantly affected coffee productivity demonstrating that it can be a promising fruit tree to intercrop with Conilon coffee.