Evaluation of Coffee (Coffea arabica L.) Physical Yield Aspect under the Canopy of Cordia africana and Erythrina abyssinica Shade Trees Effect in Arsi Golelcha District, Ethiopia

Abstract

Coffee plantation with shade trees is important to increase coffee production, sustain and restore agroecology and nature based agroforestry practices. The study was conducted on farmers’ fields in Golelcha District of East Arsi Zone, Ethiopia. The study was intended to evaluate the influence of coffee shade (under the canopy of Erythrina abyssinica and Cordia africana trees) on growth performance and  yield of coffee (Coffea arabica L.) and to get best coffee shade trees and appropriate distance of coffee seedling plantation area in which away from shade tree trunks. Randomized complete block design on three farmers’ fields as a replication in each PAs were used for data collection. A total of 48 circular samples were taken for treatments’ parameters, under both coffee shade tree species at the distance of 1m, 3m, 6 m and 25m away from shade tree trunk including unshaded zone. The two widely grown indigenous coffee shade tree species in the area were Cordia africana and Erythrina abyssinica. Even though farmers’ preference focused on Cordia africana tree based on its utility, the best results were recorded under Erythrina abyssinica tree. The outcome had a significant value at (p<0.05) and highly significance value at (p<0.01) between and within the treatments. Statistically significant comparison differences were observed between shaded and unshaded as well as within shaded effect based on the parameters across PAs. Integration of shade in coffee farming system created creditable promising in producing organic coffee. Shade utility was also adopted as ecologically sustainable, economically viable and socially acceptable practice. The second distance layer (3m) away from shade tree trunks illustrated the highest mean value across PAs in most parameters. Almost all the given coffee parameters’ value increased significantly under the tree canopy than in the open area in both PAs showing decreasing trend with increasing distance from the tree trunk. Average result of both PAs' coffee; the greater value of branch/coffee plant; 13%, and 19%, all fruits/ coffee plant; 5,060 and 9,740, thousand seed weight; 23% and 41% and  clean coffee yield/ ha in qtl; 3.25% and 6.1%, than open areas were detected under the canopies of Cordia africana and Erythrina abyssinica shade trees, respectively. The best shade tree was Erythrina abyssinica and the recommended distance of coffee seedling plantation area away from shade tree trunk was 3m. Generally, the vital signal of the treatment’s means difference were indicated between shaded and unshaded rather than within shaded means variation at most treatments’ parameters.

Keywords: Coffee-based agroforestry system, physical Coffee yield and coffee shade value