Leaf Nutrient Remobilization and Its Relationship With Root Growth in Arabica Coffee

The flow of nutrients from mature leaves to priority sinks as young leaves and roots is one of the strategies for efficient use of nutrients. This study aimed to evaluate the relative remobilization (RR) of N, P, K, Mg, Cu, Fe, and Zn from mature to young leaves during the development stages of coffee fruits and its relationship with root growth in years of high (HY) and low (LY) yields. The experiment was carried out following a randomized block split‐plot design in time. The RR of N, P, K, Mg, Cu, Fe, and Zn from mature to young leaves was calculated by means of the change in the relationship between the concentration of each nutrient and Ca. Root growth was assessed from the fresh mass, length, and surface of root samples collected from the soil 0–0.4 m depth layer. Data were subjected to variance analysis and mean test. The RR of nutrients from mature to young leaves varies with the fruit load, fruit phase development, and root growth. Remobilization of N, P, K, Mg, and Cu decreases in low production years at the fruit phase of ripening, when root growth enhances.