The development of Coffea arabica L. young plants, influenced by the rootstock were evaluated under field condition, on the Jatobá farm, which is in Paula Cândido city, Minas Gerais State. Four genotypes of C. arabica L. were used as grafts: the varieties Catuaí Vermelho IAC 15 and Oeiras MG 6851 and the lines H 419-10-3-1-5, H 514-5-5-3. As rootstocks were utilized three genotypes of Coffea canephora Pierre et Froenher were used as rootstocks: Apoatã LC 2258, Conillon Muriaé-1 and Robustão Capixaba (EMCAPA 8141) and one genotype of C. arabica L.: Mundo Novo IAC 376-4, plus four non-grafted plants. The grafting combination H419/EMCAPA promoted increase in the: plant height, number of nodes on the main stem, number of plagiotropic branches on the main stem, stem diameter, number of nodes on the medium plagiotropic branch, and yield, when compared to the respective non-grafted plant. The combinations Catuaí/Apoatã, H514/Apoatã, H514/Conilon and H514/EMCAPA promoted yield decrease when compared to the respective non-grafted plant. The grafting in coffee trees may influence the plants development, when non-grafted plants and graft/rootstock combinations are compared. The use of rootstocks Apoatã LC 2258 and EMCAPA 8141 enhanced the yield of the H419-10-3-1-5 line, and EMCAPA 8141 improved the plant growth.
Coffea canephora; grafting; propagation; rootstocks
