EFFECTS OF LIMING ON ACID SOIL CULTIVATED WITH COFFEE (Coffea arabica L.) IN THE BIOSPHERE RESERVE OF EL TRIUNFO, CHIAPAS, MEXICO

Abstract

The objective of the research was to study the effect of liming and chemical
fertilization in coffee plants established in a soil with acidity problems. The
treatments evaluated in a randomized block design were: 1. Dolomite
lime in doses of 500 kg ha^-1; 2. Fertilization (nitrogen 30 g per
plant and phosphorus 28 g per plant); 3. Joint application of
dolomite lime and fertilization; and 4. Control. The experimental
unit was one Arabica coffee plant (Coffea arabica L.) of
the Oro Azteca variety and 5 plants (repetitions) were used per treatment. The lime was applied at the time of establishing
the plantation in June 2014. The following were measured 17 months
later: plant height, stem diameter, root length, dry biomass weight,
and soil characteristics; and at 2.5 years, the yield of cherry coffee was
estimated. There was a highly significant statistical difference (P?0.01)
for plant height and absence of significance (n.s.) for stem diameter.
The application of lime showed that the acidity conditions in the soil,
by affecting the normal growth of the roots, limits the absorption of
nutrients, the development of aerial part of the plants, and the yield
of coffee beans. The effect of nitrogen fertilization on the increase
of acidity and the limited efficiency of fertilizers applied to soils with
acidity problems was also evident.