Café+SC Project Launches With Focus On Shade-Grown Specialty Coffee In Santa Catarina – CoffeeTalk

The Café+SC project, approved by the Agricultural Research and Rural Extension Company of Santa Catarina (Epagri) and the Foundation for Research and Innovation Support of Santa Catarina (Fapesc), aims to develop technical information for specialty coffee production in the state, emphasizing sustainability across environmental, economic, and social dimensions. The initiative promotes the use of a shaded cultivation system as a means for diversifying income sources in family farming.

The project integrates research and rural extension efforts, incorporating climate risk analyses for coffee cultivation along with studies on the ecophysiological traits of Coffea arabica grown in agroforestry systems. Led by researcher Valeria Pohlmann from Epagri/Ciram and funded by Fapesc, the initiative is currently in the data collection phase, focusing on rural properties in key coffee-producing regions of Santa Catarina, which include the South Coast, Greater Florianópolis, North Coast, Itajaí Valley, and Uruguay River Valley. This field data on plant development and productivity is critical for enhancing climate risk assessments related to the crop.

The collected data will be synthesized with existing climate and soil information from scientific databases and the Epagri/Ciram database to facilitate improved analyses. This methodological integration will validate agricultural zones and refine recommendations for agricultural planning. Additionally, extension agents from Epagri are assisting by collaborating with producers and monitoring research sites to strengthen the link between academic research and its practical application in the field.

A second phase of the project will take place at the Epagri Training Center in Tubarão (Cetuba), where coffee grown in agroforestry systems will be compared against those grown in full sun starting in August. Five different coffee varieties will be tested: Arara, Siriema, Mundo Novo IAC 376-4, IPR Alvorada, and IPR Pérola. The experiment will employ both manual and remote sensing techniques, including the use of sensors for tracking photosynthetically active radiation, and soil and air temperatures and humidity. This data will be cross-referenced with meteorological variables and mathematical models to evaluate how shading impacts the performance and local adaptability of the coffee varieties.

The anticipated outcomes of the Café+SC project include the development of suitability maps for shade-grown coffee production in Santa Catarina, alongside guidelines for effective technical management and monitoring practices. In addition to Valeria Pohlmann, the project involves a team of researchers from Epagri/Ciram, including Elisângela Benedet da Silva, Cristina Pandolfo, Fabio Martinho Zambonim, Gabriel Berenhauser Leite, Guilherme Ari Ferreira de Oliveira, and Luiz Fernando de Novaes Vianna.

Read More @ Revista Cultivar