Microclimate and physiological characteristics of Conilon coffee trees

There are few studies on coffee intercropped with rubber and banana trees, so studies on shaded coffee are important for a better understanding of the systems. The aim was to study the effect of intercropping with banana and rubber trees on Conilon coffee trees, and to characterise the microclimate. This project was carried out on three plantations: 1) Conilon coffee (Coffea canephora), planted at the end of 2006, intercropped with rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis), planted at the end of 2007. The rubber trees were planted in a double row (33m X 3m), with 2.3m between plants, and the coffee trees with a spacing of 3m X 1m. 2) Conilon coffee, planted in full sun at the end of 2006 with spacings of 3.0 X 1.1 and another coffee plantation intercropped with rubber trees with the following spacings: 2.6 X 1.3 and 7.8 X 2.3m. 3) Conilon coffee intercropped with banana trees (Musa sapientum subgroup Terra) with spacings of 3.5 x 1.2 and 1.5 x 10.5 at 1 year of age. The crops were planted in an east-west direction. Solar radiation, temperature and relative humidity were measured in January (summer) and September (winter) 2012. The concentration of leaf nutrients was also measured.