Evaluation of arabica coffee cultivars under Pulney hill conditions of Tamil Nadu

Abstract

A study was conducted to assess the vegetative and reproductive growth in field in four arabica coffee cultivars. The data revealed an improvement in production of more number of leaves after receipt of summer showers, which continued up to May-June and thereafter started defoliating. The formation of maximum number of nodes per tertiary branch was noticed at the initial stage of fruit ripening during October in Chandragiri (43.22%) followed by Sln.5B (43.03%), Sln.9 (35.77%) and Sln.7.3 (30.42%). Among the cultivars, Chandragiri produced highest cropping node/ branch of 8.35 Nos., flower buds/ branch of 90.24 Nos. and fruit set of 95.09% compared to other cultivars. However, production of flower buds/cropping node was more in Sln.5B (11.59) on par with Chandragiri (11.03) followed by Sln.9 (10.39) and Sln.7.3 (8.09). The average of four season’s recorded data on total fruit drop was 28.95, 31.74, 39.47 and 42.73 per cent in Chandragiri, Sln.\5B, Sln.\7.3 and Sln.\9, respectively. Assessment of fruit drop at monthly interval indicated maximum fruit drop during June-July in Sln.\5B, Sln.\9 and Chandragiri and in July-August in Sln.\7.3. Chandragiri (semi-dwarf) and Sln.5B (tall) arabica cultivars were found better physiological efficient genotypes for Pulney hill region of Tamil Nadu.