Soil quality and plant physiological responses of Coffee arabica to split drip fertigation
摘要
Improving water–nutrient management to raise yield without compromising quality is crucial for Coffea arabica. Therefore, this study evaluated split drip fertigation regimes across three growth stages: flowering and fruit-setting (Stage I), fruit expansion (Stage II), and fruit maturation (Stage III). Five treatments (F90,270,90, F120,360,120, F150,450,150, F180,540,180, and F210,630,210) were compared with the control (CK, F0,900,0), where subscripts denote fertilizer rates (kg ha− 1 year− 1) at each growth stage. Responses of soil quality, plant physiology, yield, bean nutrients, and cup quality were quantified to develop a comprehensive evaluation. The soil quality index (SQI) improved by 12.73–58.18% over the CK, increasing linearly with fertilizer rates. However, growth indicators and photosynthetic characteristics followed a parabolic trend, peaking under F150,450,150 and increasing by 15.60–83.66% relative to CK. Although F180,540,180 produced the highest yield, F150,450,150 achieved the maximum partial fertilizer productivity (PFP), a comparable yield increase (+ 20.52%), and significant enhancements in bean lipids, caffeine, and chlorogenic acid contents (+ 5.48–12.37%). Sensory profiling indicated that medium roasting accentuated aroma and acidity, whereas dark roasting enhanced flavor, aftertaste, and body. Mantel tests indicated that SQI, growth indicators and photosynthetic characteristics were primary drivers of yield, nutrient composition and cup quality. The entropy-weighted TOPSIS identified F150,450,150 as the optimal strategy, maximizing comprehensive benefits while reducing total fertilizer input by 16.67% relative to CK. Accordingly, this treatment represents a sustainable fertigation regime for Coffea arabica.