O baixo retorno financeiro desestimula pequenos e médios cafeicultores a investirem em suas lavouras. A deposição de fitomassa de leguminosas nas linhas de cultivo de cafeeiros pode contribuir para reduzir tais investimentos. Com o objetivo de verificar o efeito da deposição de fitomassa de leguminosas arbóreas nas características do solo e no crescimento de cafeeiros, foram cultivadas aléias de acácia, leucena e guandu paralelamente às linhas de cafeeiros em São Sebastião do Paraíso, Sul de Minas Gerais. Cafeeiros das primeiras linhas a leste e a oeste das faixas de leguminosas e os da terceira linha a oeste, que recebem o material da poda anual, foram avaliados quanto a altura, diâmetros do caule, comprimento de ramos, diâmetro de ramos, número de folhas e de nós e comprimento da saia de dois em dois meses de dez/2002 a dez/2003. Os resultados indicaram que as terceiras linhas de cafeeiros a oeste das aléias de acácia e de leucena apresentaram maior taxa de crescimento e as primeiras linhas a leste dessas leguminosas maior incremento anual nas variáveis avaliadas. Além disso, a deposição de fitomassa nas terceiras linhas a oeste de acácia e leucena pode ter permitido que os efeitos da seca e do frio fossem reduzidos, favorecendo o crescimento com o início da época chuvosa.
The low income of coffee production discourages small and medium brazilian growers to invest in coffee fields. The deposition of leguminous trees biomass in coffee cultivation lines can reduce production expenses. The objective of this study was to verify the effect of leguminous trees biomass deposition in coffee growth and in some soil parameters. Arabic coffee was intercropped with alleys of Acacia mangium, Leucaena leococephala and Cajanus cajan in São Sebastião do Paraíso, South of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The first coffee cultivation lines to east and west from the leguminous alley and the third line to west of each alley were evaluated. Annually, these last cultivation lines receive biomass from the pruning of the leguminous trees. Coffee growth parameters were evaluated by height, diameters of the stem, length of branches, diameter of branches, number of leaves and of knots and length of the skirts, in a frequency of two months from dec/2002 to dec/2003. The results indicated that the third coffee lines to west from the strips of Acacia mangium and Leucaena leococephala presented higher growth rate and the first cultivation lines to east of those leguminous had highest annual increment in the evaluated parameters. The biomass deposition in the third cultivation lines to west from Acacia mangium and Leucaena leococephala showed that the effects of drought and cold were reduced by the biomass deposition, benefiting the growth of coffee in the beginning of the rainy season.
