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The coffee plantation has been arousing, again, a great interest in Brazilian farmers, not only due to the good prices that the coffee sack has reached in the market, but also by the modern cultivation techniques, which allows obtaining a Much higher productivity.

Among the techniques used in the cultivation of coffee, we can mention the use of grafted seedlings, the density or smaller space between the plants, the irrigation of the coffee plantations (including the use of electricity) and the employment of earlier varieties (smaller and more Production, which ensures that the first harvest is made one year and a half after the crop has been formed).

The density is one of the most important techniques, through it is possible to plant about 10,000 seedlings in 5 hectares. As the width of the streets between the rows is, at most, 3, 5m and the spacing between the plants is smaller (from 0.8 to 1m, at most), this allows planting 3 times more seedlings than would be possible by the old method. This reduces labour, thus allowing a good economy.

Besides the density, it can be used the irrigation of the coffee plantations, which allows annual harvests, and not only one every two years, as occurs when the crop is not irrigated. In fact, even in the unirrigated crop, there is an annual harvest, but only every two years is that its harvest reaches a peak of production.

All water to be used in irrigation should be analysed so that its quality is proven avoiding, for example, the excess of iron dioxide, whose residues can even inuse the entire irrigation system, when it is drip. This analysis also allows the best choice of the apparatus to be used, in agreement, logically, with the system to be adopted: sprinkling, dripping, etc.

Each coffee foot must be irrigated according to the needs resulting from the lack of rainfall, prolonged drought, type of terrain, etc. Learn more about irrigation in irrigation articles and irrigation methods or systems in the agriculture section.

The planting of the coffee plantation should be done only with highly selected seedlings. They can be produced by the plantation planter itself or purchased from farmers who specialize in their production for this purpose, which is usually more indicated.

The coffee farmer can make his own nursery, however, receiving the clones, preferably with 8 roots or “pedestrians”. If the whole crop is clonal, they can be planted from 2,000 to 2,400 seedlings per hectare.

In rough terrain or soils, it is advisable to do the planting in level curves, due to the advantages that this technique presents. When it is necessary to renew the crop, we can do the pruning of the caps or its pulling and substitution by selected seedlings and, when possible, decreasing the spacing between the plants.

Fertilization is another factor of maximum importance for the cultivation of coffee and should be made so that the soil always has the necessary nutrients for the correct development of the Cafezal. Currently, there is a great demand for coffee produced exclusively with natural fertilization. The coffee obtained in this way is known as organic coffee, possessing a higher market value and a very good commercialization.