The positive effects of irrigation on coffee crop productivity are reported in several scientific works. However, it is necessary to investigate the irrigation effect on coffee plant behavior, in consecutive harvests. Therefore, the present study purposes to evaluate the irrigation seasons and splitting fertilizer effects on coffee plant biennial productivity cycle. An experiment was carried out in split plots, testing different fertilizer numbers applications: plot 1 (P1) has received 12 manual fertilizers applications; plots 2, 3 and 4 (P2, P3 and P4) have received, respectively, 12, 24 and 36 fertilizers applications by irrigation water. In subplots, 3 irrigations seasons were tested, working with 3 replications (blocks): 01/jun to 30/set (subplot A), 15/jul to 30/set (subplot B), 01/set to 30/set (subplot C) and a treatment for testifying without irrigation (subplot D). Cloth and ground coffee productivity and total productivity, in kg ha-1, were evaluated by ANOVA and mean tests. Significant effects of fertilizer applications, on cloth coffee productivity, were verified by ANOVA, with P1 split plot has provided the best productivity (3120 kg ha-1). Irrigation seasons have showed significant effects on three parameters studied. Significant statistical interaction was verified only among crops and irrigation seasons. Those results demonstrate that irrigation does not have eliminated the coffee plant biennial productivity cycle. It is recommended to start irrigation from 01/jun, because this treatment has produced better results than others, in two of the three crops studied, besides the smallest coefficient of variation concerning productivity.
irrigation; fertirrigation; productivity; biennial cycle; coffea Arabica
