Spatial and Temporal Variability Management for All Farmers: A Cell-Size Approach to Enhance Coffee Yields and...

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Agronomy
• Soil Science

Background:

• Coffee yield shows significant plant-level variability.
• Operational constraints, particularly in smaller farms, hinder effective yield scouting and management.
• Existing methods often lack the efficiency needed for precise management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of a cell-size approach for characterizing spatio-temporal coffee production.
• To analyze soil and plant attributes, alongside yield data (including biennial effects).
• To evaluate strategies for improving soil fertilization recommendations and economic outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A spatio-temporal study was conducted over four coffee harvest seasons in Brazil.
• A cell-size approach using small plots (cells) for sampling soil, leaves, and yield was implemented.
• Average values of soil, leaf, and yield data were assigned to each cell for analysis.

Main Results:

• Macro- and micronutrient content in soil and leaves displayed spatio-temporal heterogeneity across cells.
• The cell-size strategy identified yield variations over time and linked them to biennial effects.
• Optimized recommendations for potassium and phosphate fertilizers were achieved, proving localized management feasibility.

Conclusions:

• The cell-size approach is effective for characterizing spatio-temporal coffee production and heterogeneity.
• This method enables customized management practices and optimizes fertilizer recommendations, even with limited resources.
• The approach is suitable for small- and medium-sized farms with limited high-density sampling resources.