INITIAL GROWTH OF Coffea canephora CLONES UNDER SHADE: FUNCTIONAL ACCLIMATION OR SHADE AVOIDANCE?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66104/v908th38Keywords:
robusta coffee, plant architecture, morphophysiological plasticity, agroforestry systems, microclimateAbstract
Shading has been evaluated as a management practice for coffee crops grown in tropical regions exposed to high radiation, elevated temperatures, and irregular water availability. In Coffea canephora, responses to reduced irradiance vary according to genotype, plant age, associated species, shade intensity, and competition for water and nutrients. This structured narrative review, with an applied orientation, examined evidence on early growth, plant architecture, and morphophysiological acclimation of C. canephora clones and genotypes under shaded environments, with emphasis on the distinction between functional acclimation and shade avoidance. The search was conducted in open databases, the CAPES Journals Portal, and Google Scholar as a complementary route, gathering studies on robusta/conilon coffee under reduced irradiance, seedlings, agroforestry systems, microclimate, light physiology, and biometric variables. The evidence indicates that vegetation cover may buffer microclimatic extremes and reduce evaporative demand; when excessive or poorly distributed, however, it can limit carbon assimilation, intensify competition, and favor disproportionate elongation. Plant height alone does not allow an adequate assessment of growth quality. Interpretation becomes more consistent when collar diameter, height/diameter ratio, number of leaves, internode length, vigor, SPAD-estimated relative chlorophyll index, irradiance, air temperature, and, when available, leaf temperature and gas exchange are jointly considered. In Amazonian environments, shade should be managed according to clone, production arrangement, and developmental stage. The central contribution of this review is a qualitative interpretative matrix that integrates biometric, physiological, and microclimatic indicators to guide field distinction between functional acclimation and shade avoidance.
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