Impact of sky openness and tree diversity on growth of coffee under shade in Khun Chang Khian Highland Agricultural Research and Training Station and Nong Hoi Highland Agricultural Station, Chiangmai Province

Abstract

Coffee is one of the most important tropical crops in terms of global trade. Currently, mainly coffee plantation is under the shed of tree in agroforestry systems around the world. The cultivation of Arabica coffee in Thailand has been promoted and developed to the highland cultivation due to the cool and dry weather properly for coffee growth. This study investigates the diversity of trees and tree canopy cover affected coffee growth between Khun Chang khian Highland Agricultural Research and Training Station and Nong Hoi Highland Agricultural Station, Chiangmai Province. Three study plots of 30x 30 m were conducted in both sites. The results showed that in Khun Chang khian station plots was dominated by Lower Montane Forest species such as Schima wallichii and Castanopsis tribuloides with an average percentage of sky openness 30.88?11.21. Nong Hoi Station plot was dominated by Mixed Deciduous Forest and Lower Montane Forest species such as Bauhinia variegata, Canarium subulatum, and Schima wallichii with average percentage of sky openness of 32.01?7.12. The total height of coffee trees in Khun Chang Khian station was higher than the coffee trees in the Nong Hoi area. The diameter of the coffee plant was no different. Tree species diversity and sky openness were negatively affected to the growth of coffee plants in both sites. The management of agroforestry plots with coffee under the shed of trees may be necessary to consider preserving the trees in the plot to promote coffee growth further.

Keywords: sky openness factors; tree diversity; under-shade coffee growth; agroforestry