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Fertilizer type and species composition affect leachate nutrient concentrations in coffee agroecosystems

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Abstract

Intensification of coffee (Coffea arabica) production is associated with increases in inorganic fertilizer application and decreases in species diversity. Both the use of organic fertilizers and the incorporation of trees on farms can, in theory, reduce nutrient loss in comparison with intensified practices. To test this, we measured nutrient concentrations in leachate at 15 and 100 cm depths on working farms. We examined (1) organically managed coffee agroforests (38 kg N ha−1 year−1; n = 4), (2) conventionally managed coffee agroforests (96 kg N ha−1 year−1; n = 4), and (3) one conventionally managed monoculture coffee farm in Costa Rica (300 kg N ha−1 year−1). Concentrations of nitrate (NO3 −-N) and phosphate (PO4 3−-P) were higher in the monoculture compared to agroforests at both depths. Nitrate concentrations were higher in conventional than organic agroforests at 15 cm only. Soil solutions collected under nitrogen (N)-fixing Erythrina poeppigiana had elevated NO3 −-N concentrations at 15 cm compared to Musa acuminata (banana) or Coffea. Total soil N and carbon (C) were also higher under Erythrina. This research shows that both fertilizer type and species affect concentrations of N and P in leachate in coffee agroecosystems.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge the financial contributions of the Jefferson Scholars Foundation, the Raven Society, the Bankard Fund for Political Economy, the Center for Undergraduate Excellence, and the University of Virginia, to this research. Gabriela Soto facilitated the logistics of the fieldwork. We are grateful to our field and lab team at CATIE: Alejandra Hernández Guzmán, Amanda Schwantes, Blanca Salguero Londoño, Mauricio Scheelje, and Patricia Leandro. Finally, we would like to acknowledge the farmers of San Juan Norte, San Juan Sur, and Colorado for giving us access to their farms and welcoming us into their homes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Agriculture and Food Security Center, The Earth Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10025, USA

    Katherine L. Tully & Stephen A. Wood

  2. Department of Ecology, Evolution & Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA

    Stephen A. Wood

  3. Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA

    Deborah Lawrence

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  1. Katherine L. Tully
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  2. Stephen A. Wood
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Correspondence to Katherine L. Tully.

Appendix

Appendix

See Figs. 7, 8, 9.

Fig. 7
figure 7

Rainfall and temperature throughout the study period (September 2008–October 2009) in the Central Valley of Costa Rica. Cumulative rainfall and mean daily minimum and maximum temperatures for each 28-day period prior to sample collection. Dashed line represents the mean monthly rainfall from 1942–2009 (CATIE meteorological data)

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Fig. 8
figure 8

Each statistical model run during the analysis. The boxes represent key variables. The lines connect the response variables, which are higher up, to the dependent variables, which are lower in the diagram. The text describes the type of linear model used

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Fig. 9
figure 9

Soil C, pH, and soil moisture in the top 10 cm in coffee agroforests in Costa Rica. Mean a total C, b pH, and c gravimetric soil moisture in soils collected from 0 to 10 cm in organic and conventional coffee agroforests (across species) throughout the study period (September 2008–October 2009). Closed circles indicate conventional agroforests (CAF; n = 4), and open circles indicate organic agroforests (OAF; n = 4). Inset of mean soil C, pH, and moisture dynamics across farms are also presented

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Tully, K.L., Wood, S.A. & Lawrence, D. Fertilizer type and species composition affect leachate nutrient concentrations in coffee agroecosystems. Agroforest Syst 87, 1083–1100 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-013-9622-0

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