The objective of this work was to obtain and evaluate the drying curves for the coffee berry species Coffea Canephora, and to fit different mathematical models into the experimental data of four clones. Coffee berries from the following clones were used: Cpafro 194, Cpafro 193, Cpafro 167 and Cpafro 180, harvested at moisture contents of 1.20; 1.32; 1.51 and 1.46 (decimal d.b.), respectively. The drying continued in a concrete yard until the moisture content of 0.10 (decimal d.b.) was achieved. Ten mathematical models cited in literature were fitted to the experimental data in order to represent the drying process. According to the results and based on the statistical parameters, it can be concluded that the Page model represents well the drying of four coffee berry clones; for the clone Cpafro180, the Verna and other models were also satisfactory in describing the phenomenon. The drying time in concrete yard for coffee berry clones Cpafro 194, Cpafro 193, Cpafro 167 and Cpafro 180, up to the moisture content of 0.10 (decimal d.b.) was 117.5 hours and the diffusion coefficient was 4.50 x 10-11; 5.17 x 10-11; 5.08 x 10-11 and 5.50 x 10-11 m² s-1, for analyzed clones, respectively.
coffee berry; clones; mathematical model; moisture content
