respectively. So to limit the erosion, coffee should be planted on altitudes with slope
gradient less than 30% and with 60–65% litter cover by any plant residue [14].
Agroforestry system not only lowers the temperature of microclimate by 4.1
C
below the canopy of trees which helps in delay ripening of coffee cherries, a
prerequisite for fine quality coffee production, but also lowers the soil temperature
up to 3.1
C and conserves the soil moisture contents up to 6.4% more than the full
sun cropping systems [159]. The rate of nutrients mineralization and leaching is also
detected at lower level in the shaded or agroforestry systems which ensure the
sustainable supply of nutrients to plant round the years [160, 161]. Soil moisture
and soil temperature are main drivers directly affecting the soil texture, microbial
activities, rate of mineralization, minerals uptake by plant, BD, soil porosity, and soil
CO 2 efflux. Conservation of soil moisture in agroforestry system assures the continuous supply of water which is crucial for the good bean size, another factor for
good cup quality of coffee, and therefore reduces the threats of economic loss [159].
The disturbance of the carbon pool partitioning for metabolism due to soil drought
condition may lead to the overexpression of invertase to buffer the sugar concentration under limited photosynthesis which eventually disturbs the soluble sugars and
amino acids level throughout the plant and coffee cherries, thus affecting the cupping
quality of beverage [162]. After the reported results over the reduction of yield seen
in agroforestry or shaded planting system with leguminous species, Soto-Pinto et al.
[163] revealed that 30–45% shade or canopy cover is the optimal level in agroforestry or shaded planting system without affecting the yield and quality attributes of
coffee fruit. The richness and density of shading trees are constructively correlated
number of strata and negatively related with sunlight below canopy cover and radius
of central bush of coffee tree. The independence of coffee yield, soil fertility, pH, and
nutrient contents from shade type is symbol of involvement of other factors, i.e.,
environmental conditions, management and agronomical practices in yield, and
quality attributes of coffee [155].
Owing to lack of harmonization between mineralization and plant uptake, OM
contents of soil cannot cope with the nutrients demand of coffee plants for sustainable coffee yield with good quality characteristics [147]. To withstand with their
nutrients demands, tropical coffee plants are also in symbiotic relationship with
vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (VAMF), which in exchange of carbohydrates provides the coffee plants not only with macronutrients (i.e., P, N) and
micronutrients (i.e., B, Zn, Cu) [164, 165] but also abridged the water use and
nutrients loss [166], increases the plant resistance against soil pathogens [167] and
drought, and improves the soil texture by diversifying the soil microflora aiding in
rapid mineralization of OM [168]. To improve the yield and cupping quality of
coffee, it is very important to get insight into the diversity and composition of VAMF
communities and environmental drivers which affect, in either way, their diversity
and composition. The literature is full of controversies about the environmental
drivers which determine the VAMF abundance, diversity, and composition of their
communities [169]. The influential environmental drivers which determine the fate
of VAMF abundance, diversity, and composition may include OM, soil P and N
level, soil pH, elevation, spatial location, soil texture, soil moisture, management
27 “Coffee Bean-Related” Agroecological Factors Affecting the Coffee
669
gradient less than 30% and with 60–65% litter cover by any plant residue [14].
Agroforestry system not only lowers the temperature of microclimate by 4.1
C
below the canopy of trees which helps in delay ripening of coffee cherries, a
prerequisite for fine quality coffee production, but also lowers the soil temperature
up to 3.1
C and conserves the soil moisture contents up to 6.4% more than the full
sun cropping systems [159]. The rate of nutrients mineralization and leaching is also
detected at lower level in the shaded or agroforestry systems which ensure the
sustainable supply of nutrients to plant round the years [160, 161]. Soil moisture
and soil temperature are main drivers directly affecting the soil texture, microbial
activities, rate of mineralization, minerals uptake by plant, BD, soil porosity, and soil
CO 2 efflux. Conservation of soil moisture in agroforestry system assures the continuous supply of water which is crucial for the good bean size, another factor for
good cup quality of coffee, and therefore reduces the threats of economic loss [159].
The disturbance of the carbon pool partitioning for metabolism due to soil drought
condition may lead to the overexpression of invertase to buffer the sugar concentration under limited photosynthesis which eventually disturbs the soluble sugars and
amino acids level throughout the plant and coffee cherries, thus affecting the cupping
quality of beverage [162]. After the reported results over the reduction of yield seen
in agroforestry or shaded planting system with leguminous species, Soto-Pinto et al.
[163] revealed that 30–45% shade or canopy cover is the optimal level in agroforestry or shaded planting system without affecting the yield and quality attributes of
coffee fruit. The richness and density of shading trees are constructively correlated
number of strata and negatively related with sunlight below canopy cover and radius
of central bush of coffee tree. The independence of coffee yield, soil fertility, pH, and
nutrient contents from shade type is symbol of involvement of other factors, i.e.,
environmental conditions, management and agronomical practices in yield, and
quality attributes of coffee [155].
Owing to lack of harmonization between mineralization and plant uptake, OM
contents of soil cannot cope with the nutrients demand of coffee plants for sustainable coffee yield with good quality characteristics [147]. To withstand with their
nutrients demands, tropical coffee plants are also in symbiotic relationship with
vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (VAMF), which in exchange of carbohydrates provides the coffee plants not only with macronutrients (i.e., P, N) and
micronutrients (i.e., B, Zn, Cu) [164, 165] but also abridged the water use and
nutrients loss [166], increases the plant resistance against soil pathogens [167] and
drought, and improves the soil texture by diversifying the soil microflora aiding in
rapid mineralization of OM [168]. To improve the yield and cupping quality of
coffee, it is very important to get insight into the diversity and composition of VAMF
communities and environmental drivers which affect, in either way, their diversity
and composition. The literature is full of controversies about the environmental
drivers which determine the VAMF abundance, diversity, and composition of their
communities [169]. The influential environmental drivers which determine the fate
of VAMF abundance, diversity, and composition may include OM, soil P and N
level, soil pH, elevation, spatial location, soil texture, soil moisture, management
27 “Coffee Bean-Related” Agroecological Factors Affecting the Coffee
669