Evaluación agronómica de híbridos de café robusta (Coffea canephora) en monocultivo y asociado con fréjol de palo (Cajanus cajan) en las condiciones subtropicales del Ecuador

Objective: The agronomic behavior of two robusta coffee hybrids (Coffea canephora) from the peninsula and the Amazon was evaluated, both in monoculture and associated with pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan). The aim was to determine the compatibility between species and the productive potential of the legume under the subtropical conditions of the La Maná canton, Cotopaxi province, Ecuador. Methodology: A completely randomized block design was established with four treatments, four repetitions, and 16 experimental units. Peninsular coffee (180 days old), Amazonian coffee (360 days), and palo bean (150 days) were evaluated over a period of 120 days. Morphometric variables (plant height, stem diameter, number of branches, leaves, and more), leaf analysis of macro and micronutrients, soil analysis at the beginning and end of the period, and palo bean production in kg/ha were measured. Results: The morphometric variables of coffee did not show significant differences between cultivation systems. The monoculture of peninsular coffee reached a height of 64.28 cm and a stem diameter of 16.30 mm at 300 days; the Amazonian variety recorded 98.78 cm and 27.28 mm at 480 days. The association with Amazonian coffee achieved the greatest height of pole beans (263.90 cm) and stem diameter (38.58 mm). The production of pole beans was higher in association with peninsular coffee (174.69 kg/ha). The associated system showed an increase in soil nitrogen at the end of the experimental period. Conclusions: The association of robusta coffee with pole bean proved to be compatible under the studied edaphoclimatic conditions, without affecting the vegetative growth of the coffee. The positive impact on nitrogen dynamics indicates that this practice can help the sustainability of the production system. It is suggested to conduct studies for at least two years to verify its agroecological benefits.