Biomass and soil microbial activity in different systems of coffee cultivation

Abstract

The work aimed to evaluate the influence of different coffee farming systems in soil microbial biomass and activity. The experimental design consisted in randomized blocks in split plot, with five repetitions. Two seasons were evaluated, the first in April and the second in July 2015. The treatments consisted of three coffee cultivation systems and two control areas: 1) Coffee intercropped with trees species and Urochloa cv. decumbens; 2) Coffee intercropped with Urochloa cv. decumbens; 3) Coffee in monoculture; 4) ground fallow and 5) native vegetation fragment. The soil microbial biomass and activity were assessed in soil samples collected at 0.0-0.10 m depth. The following variables were evaluated: microbial biomass carbon, basal respiration, metabolic quotient, microbial quotient and soil organic carbon. Litter accumulation (t ha^-1) and soil moisture (kg kg^-1) were also evaluated. The systems fragment of native vegetation, Coffee in consortium with tree species and U. cv. decumbens and Coffee intercropped with U. cv. decumbens favour soil microbial biomass and activity, regardless the sampling time.