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 Paraná State, Brazil (23°45′ S, 52°30′ W), to evaluate the effect of Grevillea robusta (grevillea) on interplanted coffee. Grevillea 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 yield 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 grevillea 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 interplanted under grevillea trees at densities of 71 and 119 trees per hectare. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.