The plantations
The coffee plantations can be in the sun or in the shade even if the coffee plant is a plant under the forest, the full sun plantations are able to obtain a greater continuation.
By extension in hectares, the largest plantations are found in Brazil, Colombia, India, Ethiopia and Vietnam.
The plantations in the shade
Shaded plantations guarantee the best conditions for the coffee plant.
Shade trees must not compete with the coffee plant, they are usually Leguminosae, fruit with citrus, banana and plane trees.
Usually trees are chosen that can give an income.
On the other hand, it is not allowed to grow sugar cane and oil palm with coffee.
The trees act as protection from wind and rain enrich the soil and make the environment sustainable.The advantages of growing in the shade are:
- Extreme temperature mitigation
- Better conservation of water and soil
- Greater Biondiversity
In shady plantations it is possible to obtain a higher quality as the longer ripening times have several advantages on the coffee bean.
However, excessive shade blocks sunlight, which in turn reduces yield and increases humidity which promotes the spread of disease.
Plantations in the sun
In sunny plantations the production is higher as the trees produce more flowers.
In Brazil, monoculture in full sun is predominant.