The coffee tree is characterized by a large export of nutrients from the soil, requiring adequate application of correctives and fertilizers to achieve high yields and grain quality.
The supply of nutrients via the soil is extremely important for the management of nutrition in coffee plantations. So, the application of nutrients via the leaf also proves to be an interesting and efficient tool for the supplementation and immediate supply of nutrients in times of greater demand.
Soil fertilization must be carried out at the recommended doses, based on the results obtained in the soil and leaf analyses. Generally, these fertilizers are divided into three installments during the rainy season, with the installments being made in early November, late December and February.
The use of foliar fertilizers can be carried out together with phytosanitary treatments.
Nutrients considered essential for the coffee tree are classified into:
Macronutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulphur, demanded in greater quantities by the plant.
Micronutrients: boron, zinc, copper, iron, manganese and molybdenum, which are required in smaller quantities by the plant.
Nitrogen: Adequate nitrogen fertilization is essential both for the structural growth of the plant, as well as for abundant flowering and fruiting.
Phosphorus: in the plant’s adult phase, it is less required than nitrogen and potassium, differently from the formation phase, when it acts in the structuring of roots and wood, hence the importance of its presence in planting fertilization.
Potassium: it is the second nutrient most in demand by the coffee tree, plays an important role in photosynthesis, respiration and sap circulation, and its requirement is greater in older plants.
Calcium: It is essential for root development.
Magnesium: performs several functions in the plant, excelling in photosynthesis. It is a component of chlorophyll, the pigment responsible for the green color of branches, young fruits and leaves.
Sulfur: contains amino acids and has structural functions in proteins and several metabolic functions. It participates in chlorophyll synthesis and is very important for root development.
Boron: acts in cell elongation and division, together with zinc, boron is the micronutrient that most limits coffee production. It is found in organic matter.
Zinc: may limit coffee production. It is directly linked to plant growth areas and plays an important role in pollen tube germination, influencing flowering and fruit size.
Copper: In crops whose management is adopted to control rust and brown eye spot, through the use of copper fungicides via the leaves, the supply of this nutrient is satisfactory to meet the nutritional needs of the coffee tree.
Iron: component of chlorophyll, participates in the breathing process.
Manganese: Manganese participates in photosynthesis and can replace magnesium in several enzymes. Molybdenum: is a component of two main enzymes: nitrogenase and nitrate reductase. This reveals the importance of this nutrient for the nitrogen cycle.
