A study was carried out in coffee crop (Coffea arabica L.) cv. Icatu Vermelho IAC 4045, unshade and shaded by banana 'Prata Anã' (Musa AAB), in Mococa, São Paulo State, Brazil (Latitude South 21º 28 ', Longitude West 47º 01 ', altitude 665m). Phenological data for the coffee crops were taken, from July, 2001 to June, 2004. The growth of the plants concerning height and diameter was also evaluated. The harvests of 2002, 2003 and, 2004 were appraised by the production parameters, and their variability for different positions in shaded coffee crop. The vegetative growth in height and diameter showed higher activity during the spring-summer period in relation to the autumn-winter period, in both in the cultivation systems evaluated. No significant differences of the growth taxes, of phenological development and of the yield indexes were found. In coffee crop shaded, the nearest point to the banana plants showed differences in relation to the other amostral points in vegetative growth and phenological development for some seasons of the year, besides showing smaller plant yield.
Coffea arabica; phenology; crop growth; shading
