Final
site evaluation of Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica L.) grafted on Robusta rootstock (Coffea canephora P.) to the application of biostimulants.
Definitive site evaluation of Arabica coffee (Coffea
arabica L.) grafted on Robusta rootstock (Coffea canephora P.) to
the application of biostimulants
Pincay Menéndez Joffre 1
Galarza Noboa Angie2
Valverde Lucio Yhony 3
Valverde Jalca Diana 4
Mendoza Marcillo Bolívar 5
Solorzano Alcivar Fernando6
Published Edwards Deming Higher Technological Institute. Quito - Ecuador Periodicity April - June Vol. 1, Num. 25, 2025 pp.
1-14 http://centrosuragraria.com/index.php/revista Dates of receipt Received: December, 2024 Approved: January 30, 2025 Correspondence author joffre.pincay@unesum.edu.ec Creative Commons License Creative Commons License,
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0
International.https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.es
[1] Mg. Universidad Estatal
del Sur de Manabí . joffre.pincay@unesum.edu.ec, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4664-8983 2 Agricultural Engineer.
Independent consultant. angie.galarza@unesum.edu.ec, https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8752-0811 3 PhD. Universidad
Estatal del Sur de Manabí. Yhony.valverde@unesum.edu.ec, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9792-9400 4 Forestry Engineer. Universidad Estatal
del Sur de Manabí. diana.valverde@unesum.edu.ec, https://orcid.org/0009-0006-2999-5891 5 Mg. Universidad
Estatal del Sur de Manabí. bolívar.mendoza@unesum.edu.ec, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0812-2232 6 Mg.
Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Ecuador. fernando.solorzano@unesum.edu.ec,
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3135-5467
Key words: Coffee genotypes, development, morphometrics,
yield, microorganisms.
Resumen: La investigación se
realizó en la Finca experimental Andil de la
Universidad Estatal del Sur de Manabí, el objetivo fue el de evaluar el
comportamiento de dos genotipos de café arábiga (Coffea
arabica L.) injertados en patrón robusta (Coffea canephora P.) a
la aplicación de bioestimulantes, cultivados en sitio
definitivo. La investigación fue de tipo explicativo, en la que se aplicó el
diseño experimental de bloques completamente al azar (DBCA) con arreglo
factorial 22 con ajustes de medidas en el tiempo (30, 60 y 90 días),
se emplearon 64 plantas, distribuidas en 4 tratamientos T1 = Sarchimor 1669 + Micorriza, T2 = Sarchimor
1669 + Trichoderma, T3 = Sarchimor
4260 + Micorriza y T4 = Sarchimor 4260 + Trichoderma, con cuatro repeticiones. Las variables a
evaluar fueron: prendimiento, diámetro del injerto, longitud del injerto y
número de hojas en un periodo de 90 días. Los resultados determinaron un 88% de
prendimiento, con excepción del T1 que alcanzó un 75%. El diámetro del injerto
del T1 fue mayor con 2,4 mm, la mayor longitud del injerto para el T2 con 3,25
cm y el mayor número de hojas para el T4 con 5,00 por planta. Con respecto al
factor tiempo el análisis determinó un comportamiento homogéneo entre
tratamientos. Se concluye que los bioestimulantes no
utilizados no incidieron en el porcentaje de prendimiento (88%) que, aunque
alto, no es satisfactorio considerando que se trata de un cultivo en sitio
definitivo, ante lo cual se recomienda realizar este proceso en etapa de
vivero.
Palabras claves: Genotipos de café, desarrollo, morfometría, prendimiento, microorganismos.
Introduction
Coffee originated in Africa,
and there are more than 100 species belonging to the Coffea genus. Different types of coffee plants have been developed with
numerous genetic characteristics: size and shape of the plant, size and color
of the fruit, resistance to diseases and pests, adaptability, productivity,
etc. Two species in particular are commercially cultivated, Coffea arabica (arabica)
and Coffea canephora (robusta)
Robusta coffee was cultivated
mainly in Africa. This crop is considered the most resistant to changes in
temperature and diseases. It is adapted to tropical climates with a rainfall
between 1,000 and 1,800 mm, under a temperature of 22 and 27ºC. Its yield is
much better which needs less care than arabica, one
of its unpleasant characteristic is its bitter taste and contains 2 times more
caffeine than in arabica
Arabica coffee is currently
grown in the mountainous areas of Chongón-Colonche,
in the highlands of Olón, Pedro Pablo Gómez, Paján, Jipijapa, 24 de Mayo,
Santa Ana, Pichincha, Junín, Chone, Sucre up to Jama
and Pedernales in the north of Manabí. Grafting Coffea arabica species
onto Coffea canephora rootstock
can tolerate pest infestation, since one of the important benefits of the
rootstock results in a better root system (Reyes et al., 2016). The Coffea arabica variety
receives the name of arabica coffee and is considered
the best quality, its production is concentrated in the provinces of Manabí
(especially in the canton Jipijapa) (Venegas et al., 2018).
The genotypes originating from
Arabica coffee such as the hybrids Sarchimor 1669 and
Sarchimor 4260, have come to
gain ground in being one of the best coffee cultivars within the implementation
of coffee plantations. These cultivars present excellent agronomic
characteristics, guaranteeing high productivity allowing a reduction in the
rate of empty fruits, they adapt very well to diverse coffee growing areas of
the country, present higher production yields and to date have proven to be
resistant to rust which is a plague that considerably affects coffee
plantations
The method of vegetative
propagation by grafting is important within the coffee crop, since its main
objective is to create a crop with the best attributes of two plants in one,
providing it with a new root system being tolerant to biotic and abiotic
factors
Grafting a scion of arabica coffee (Coffea arabica L.) onto a
rootstock of robusta coffee (Coffea canephora) has
the ability to strengthen and improve the root system, allowing the plants to
be able to absorb more water and nutrients in order to generate an increase in
productivity and helping arabica coffee to be
resistant to phytonematodes, which are harmful, as
they reduce coffee yields by damaging the roots of the plant. Due to the first
species providing products of higher physical and organoleptic quality, while
the second is tolerant to nematodes
The queen or hypocotyledon graft, made by joining Arabica and canephora coffee, was created by the agronomist Efraín Humberto Reina in 1946. It was started by combining
nematode resistant plants and high production plants, in this case the root and the aerial part, in order to improve
the yield in production where they were affected by nematodes and minimize the
use of chemical products. A rootstock is used in the soil in this case of robusta coffee that produces stronger and deeper roots,
allowing the genotype to be grafted to be provided with greater access to the
passage of nutrients, water and tolerate insect pests in a better way
Budding is the response
manifested by a graft when the tissues of a bud adhere to the tissues of the
rootstock, with nutrient exchange between them. The lack of budding can also
depend on several factors, such as: poorly developed, stunted that exert a
negative effect on the bud, poorly drained soils and without organic matter,
diseases and pests, genetic and botanical differences in the plants to be
grafted, when the cambium regions of tissues are not in close contact,
inadequate temperature and humidity
Biostimulants They are characterized by helping plants in
the absorption and utilization of nutrients, obtaining robust plants, they are
also energizers of growth regulators that serve to increase yields
Mycorrhizae define the process
of symbiosis that occurs from the fungus and the roots of the plant, through
the root system absorb minerals, nutrients, water found in the soil. It
stimulates the rooting and growth of plants, improves the biological activity
of the soil, increases the survival of root diseases and soil pathogens
The
objective of this research is to evaluate the response of arabica
coffee genotypes grafted on robusta rootstock, these
species combine productivity and coffee properties that allow the level of
adaptation in coffee growing areas, reaching as a result new varieties that are
more resistant to pests and diseases
Methodology
The study
was carried out at the Andil experimental farm of the
Universidad Estatal del Sur de Manabí, located in the
canton of Jipijapa at kilometer 5 of the road to Noboa in the canton of 24 de Mayo, in the community of Andil. Geographical coordinates between 01º 10' and 01º 47'
south latitude and between 80º 25' and 80º 52' west longitude.
Jipijapa is a canton located in the province of Manabí, its limits are to the north by the cantons Montecristi, Portoviejo and Santa Ana, to the south by the
province of Santa Elena and Puerto López, to the east
by the cantons Paján and 24 de mayo and to the west
by the Pacific Ocean. The climate of Jipijapa is
tropical dry, the average temperature is 24 ° C with
an average annual rainfall of 1,280 mm ², according to the Development Plan and
Land Management of Jipijapa.
An
experimental design of completely randomized blocks (DBCA) with a 2² factorial
arrangement was used with adjustments of measurements over time (30, 60, 90
days). A total of 64 plants were grafted. The first factor is the varieties Sarchimor 42 60 and Sarchimor 16
69, and the second factor is the biostimulants
mycorrhiza and trichodermas, which resulted in a
distribution of four treatments and four replications, giving a total of 16
experimental units (EU) with six plants per EU.
To carry
out the study, the following variables were taken into account: number of
grafts, data were taken 30 days after grafting and expressed as percentage%;
graft length, measured from graft insertion to the terminal apex of the stem in
cm; graft diameter, a digital vernier caliper was
used for measurements. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical
software.
Results
The data obtained in the investigation of
quantitative variables were subjected to a normality analysis in which it was
determined that the data presented a normal distribution, justifying the
application of parametric statistics, analysis of variance and subsequent
comparison of means.
Number of pressings
Regarding table 1, the number of shoot emergence,
treatment three (Sarchimor 4260 + Mycorrhiza) and
treatment four (Sarchimor 4260 + Trichoderma) show
equality in percentage of shoot emergence during their evaluation period,
resulting in treatment one (Sarchimor 1669 +
Mycorrhiza) with the lowest number of shoot emergence during the 90-day period.
Table 1. Percentage of
grafted plants budding.
|
Prendimiento |
||||||
|
30 days |
% |
60 days |
% |
90 days |
% |
|
|
T1 Sarchimor1669+Micorriza |
15 |
94% |
15 |
94% |
12 |
75% |
|
T2 Sarchimor 1669+Trichoderma |
14 |
88% |
14 |
88% |
14 |
88% |
|
T3 Sarchimor 4260+Mycorrhiza |
16 |
100% |
15 |
94% |
14 |
88% |
|
T4 Sarchimor 4260+Trichoderma |
16 |
100% |
15 |
94% |
14 |
88% |
Graft diameter
Table 2 shows the
analysis of variance of the graft diameter, where statistical differences
between treatments are determined by p-value<0.01; in the case of the
interaction between treatment and time there is no difference, which determines
a homogeneous behavior of all treatments during the time of the trial.
Table 2. Analysis of variance of the variable graft diameter.
|
Source of Variation |
SC |
gl |
CM |
F |
p-value |
|
Repetitions |
0,11 |
3 |
0,04 |
4,12 |
0,0171 |
|
Treatments |
1,1 |
3 |
0,37 |
41,32 |
<0,0001** |
|
Weather |
4,4 |
2 |
2,2 |
248,69 |
<0,0001** |
|
Time*Treatments |
0,07 |
6 |
0,01 |
1,28 |
0.3024 ns |
|
Error |
0,21 |
24 |
0,01 |
||
|
Total |
7,57 |
47 |
**= Highly significant at P<0.01, ns= not
significant at P>0.05
The Tukey test at 5% determines that the treatment
T1 Sarchimor 1669 + Mycorrhiza with 2.4 cm of
diameter as the one with the best performance, and T2 Sarchimor
1669 + Trichoderma with the lowest average with 2.19 cm of diameter. With
respect to the interaction of time, a homogeneous increase in the means was
observed as time progressed, with an initial average of 1.48 cm diameter in the
first 30 days and ending the evaluation period with 2.40 cm diameter average at
90 days (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Graft diameter (cm) by treatments and time
Graft length
In the analysis of variance of the graft length variable (Table 3), it
was observed that there was a significant difference in the treatments, as well
as a high significant difference with a p-value<0.01 for time. While for the
interaction between treatments and time, there were no significant differences.
Table 3. Analysis of variance of the
variable graft length.
|
F.V. |
SC |
gl |
CM |
F |
p-value |
|
Repetitions |
1,90 |
3 |
0,63 |
16,17 |
<0,0001 |
|
Treatments |
0,43 |
3 |
0,14 |
3,64 |
0,0304 * |
|
Weather |
5,54 |
2 |
2,77 |
70,7 |
<0,0001** |
|
Time*Treatments |
0,36 |
6 |
0,06 |
1,53 |
0.2115 ns |
|
Error |
0,94 |
24 |
0,04 |
||
|
Total |
10,08 |
47 |
*= there is significance
p<0.05, **= there is very high significance, ns= not significant P>0.05
The Tukey test at 5% in the length of the graft
indicates that the treatment with statistically higher average was the T2 Sarchimor 1669 + Trichoderma with 3.25 cm, while the T4 Sarchimor 4260 + Trichoderma obtained 2.89 cm being the
lowest average during its period of evaluation. With respect to time, a
homogeneous increase is observed as time progresses, having an initial average
of 2.10 cm in the first 30 days and ending the evaluation period with an
average of 3.25 cm at 90 days (Figure 2).
Figure 1. Graft diameter (cm) by treatment and time
Number of
sheets
Regarding the variable number of leaves, the analysis of variance (Table 4) showed that
there are significant differences between treatments and time. In the case of
the interaction between treatment and time, there is no difference with a
p-value of 0.8209, being all equal during 90 days of evaluation significant
differences (P<0.05 probability), T2 obtained an average of 23 nodes per
plant with respect to T4, which had 20 nodes per plant.
Table 4. Analysis of variance of the variable number of
leaves.
|
F.V. |
SC |
gl |
CM |
F |
p-value |
|
Repetitions |
3,23 |
3 |
1,08 |
3,51 |
0,0305 |
|
Treatments |
3,17 |
3 |
1,06 |
3,44 |
0,0327* |
|
Weather |
39,43 |
2 |
19,71 |
64,25 |
<0,0001** |
|
Time*Treatments |
0,87 |
6 |
0,15 |
0,47 |
0.8209 ns |
|
Error |
7,36 |
24 |
0,31 |
||
|
Total |
59,58 |
47 |
*= there is significance
P<0.05, **= highly significant at P<0.01, ns= not significant P>0.05
The Tukey test at 5% of the variable number of
leaves indicates that the treatment with the highest statistically dissimilar
average was T4 Sarchimor 4260 + Trichoderma, while T1
Sarchimor 1669 + Mycorrhiza obtained the lowest
average. With respect to the interaction of time, it shows that despite the
increase in the number of days to complete the evaluation period, these remain
homogeneous among themselves (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Number of leaves
per treatment and time.
The results obtained
in the present investigation determined that in the application of the queen
grafting method 15 days after having carried out the same, 60% of the plants
had taken root, likewise it was determined that treatment 3 (Sarchimor 4260 + Mycorrhiza) and treatment 4 (Sarchimor 4260 + Trichoderma) were the most efficient as
opposed to the other treatments. On the other hand, Mallaguare (2021), reported a 60% of pruning using wedge grafting at nursery level. These
values are similar to those of research. In contrast, Espinoza et al.
(2017), using the queen grafting method, obtained a percentage of 95% bud
break, reaching higher values.
During the 90-day evaluation period, there was
a good development of the graft, characteristics that coincide with Piaguaje (2023), that the grafts show good plant vigor and
little affectation in phytosanitary problems after 90 days of evaluation.
According to Aguilar (2016), several factors must be taken into account that
influence a graft to have positive results, among them are: temperature,
humidity and compatibility.
Balón (2016), in his research shows that the application of Agriroot
biostimulant in Arabica coffee grafting with robusta rootstock in doses of 200, 300 and 400 ml in an
evaluation period of 15, 30 and 45 days, being the control T1 with the highest
average of 1.86 cm and with the lowest average obtained the T3 Agriroot with doses of 300 ml with 1.80 cm in height.
According to Quijije (2021),
it was necessary to make a trend line analysis with repetitions in the time of
study that showed a similar progress during the time of the experiment. Pincay
et at. (2022) expressed
that the biostimulants affect the diameter of the
stem, the treatment with Trichoderma sp. 4 ml L-1 was
the most outstanding, followed by Trichoderma sp. 2 ml L-1 in
three evaluations of 60, 90 and 120 days.
Franco & Vera (2018), in their research applying Induktor biostimulant in doses of
2.5 cc/liter in water, being the hybrid Sarchimor
4260 with the highest result in the variable number of leaves in average of 10
leaves at 90 days.
Conclusions
The morphometric
characterization of the genotypes of arabica coffee
studied indicate that Sarchimor 1669 + Micorriza presented better average in diameter of the
graft, Sarchimor 1669 + Trichoderma obtained greater
averages in length of the graft and as for number of leaves the Sarchimor 4260 + Trichoderma reached greater average of 5
leaves per plant. According to the analysis of the results obtained it is shown
that the organic biostimulant Trichoderma acted in a positive way within the treatments .
With respect to the time that was carried out, the investigation shows a
homogeneous increase of the means as the time advances.
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