Path Analysis of Vegetative Characteristics in Conilon Coffee Production Consortiated with Green Fertilizers in Tropical Climate

The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between morphoagronomic characters and coffee productivity and their direct and indirect effects under the influence of different types of green fertilizers. The experiment was carried out in the field followed by the sampling method in a pre-established coffee plantation, installed in soil with a slope of 11% in the Southern Region of the State of Espírito Santo. The intercropping of coffee with green fertilizers studied were pigeon pea, jack bean, velvet bean, and wild Mexican sunflower, as well as a control treatment without green fertilizers. The experimental unit consisted of a coffee plant, clonal variety "Incaper 8142" Conilon Vitoria, with a spacing of 2.30 x 2.60 meters, with a crop age of seven years, using the border of at least one coffee plant between experimental units. Eight morphoagronomic characteristics were measured, having as main dependent variable the productivity (in kg per plant) obtained in the harvest of 2015, and as primary explanatory characteristics: plant height, orthotropic branch diameter, plagiotropic branch diameter, number of leaves, number of nodes, number of orthotropic branches, number of plagiotropic branches and number of productive nodes. To increase productivity, coffee plants with the highest number of orthotropic branches and number of plagiotropic branches should be selected. The characteristics of greater direct contribution were a number of nodes and the number of productive nodes.