PRODUCTIVITY OF SOUTHERN BRAZILIAN COFFEE PLANTATIONS SHADED BY DIFFERENT STOCKINGS OF GREVILLEA-ROBUSTA

A field experiment was conducted from 1984 to 1994 in the North of Par ana State, Brazil (23 degrees 45' S, 52 degrees 30' W), to evaluate th e effect of Grevillea robusta (grevillea) on interplanted coffee. Grev illea was planted in five densities (26, 34, 48, 71, and 119 trees per ha). Compared with open grown coffee, there was no decline in the yie ld of coffee under grevillea at densities of 26, 34, and 48 trees per ha; however, total economic productivity (including the value of both coffee and grevillea) was higher for combinations of coffee and grevil lea at 34, 48, and 71 trees per ha. The severe radiative frost of June 1994 that damaged most coffee plants did not damage coffee plants int erplanted under grevillea trees at densities of 71 and 119 trees per h ectare.