This study was carried on to verify the irrigation effects on coffee classification related to bean type, shape and size. These characteristics were investigated. The plants were irrigated by a center pivot where five different water depths were applied based on the difference between precipitation and evaporation from a Class A Pan (ECA). The cultivar planted was Rubi, installed in March 1999, spaced 3.5 meters between rows and 0.8 meters between plants. Statistical differences were not observed on the studied factors type (intrinsic defects), format (plain beans and "moca") and size (sieves). Among the types of defects, green and sour beans were the ones that presented the largest percentages for all harvests studied and different water depths. In term of size, the treatments that received water depths of 60% and 80% of ECA, presented the largest percentage of medium coffee (sieves 15 and 16), 55.6% and 55.3%, respectively. The irrigation effect on coffee beans classification related to the type (number of defects) was susceptible to larger percentage due to the highest variability of coefficient (V.C.) showed when compared to size and format of beans.
Coffea arabica L.; intrinsic deffects; coffee beans size
