Determination of Appropriate Planting Space and Vertical Number s for Hybrid Arabica Coffee at Yeki District, Southwestern Ethiopia

An experiment was conducted at Tepi National Spices Research Center for five years, to determine the optimum planting space and vertical numbers that promote growth and yield of hybrid Arabica coffee variety. The treatments consisted of three levels of planting space (2.5 m x 2.5 m, 2.5 m x 2.0 m, 2.0 m x 2.0 m) and three vertical numbers (single stem, two stem, free growth). The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The recorded data on yield and yield attributes like internode length of primary branches, number of bearing and non-bearing primary branches, number of nodes of primary branch and the main stem were significantly influenced by the interaction effects of planting space and vertical numbers. Similarly, the coffee yield was also significantly influenced by the interaction of planting space and vertical numbers. The highest plant height and internode length of primary branches were recorded at the same planting space of 2.0 m x 2.0 m with two stem and free growth habit, respectively. Whereas, the maximum node number on primary branches and main stem were recorded from treatments which had the same planting space (2.5 m x 2.0 m) with single stem and two stem, respectively. The maximum number of bearing primary branches were recorded from trees which treated with 2.0 m x 2.0 m with free growth habit. Likewise, the highest coffee yield was found in a planting space of 2.0 m x 2.0 m with free growth habit. Therefore, it could be concluded that using of an optimum planting space of 2 m x 2 m with free growth habit enhanced the growth, yield and yield components of hybrid coffee. However, it is important to repeat the study in different locations for further investigation on yield and quality attributes.