Soil moisture associated with least limiting water range, leaf water potential, initial growth and yield of coffee as affected by soil management system

•Critical moisture for crop in each phenological stage was added as the lowest limit of LLWR.•Water uptake in soil profile improved with deep tillage, intercropping and additional gypsum.•Soil physico-chemical conditioning was important to maintain plant water status.•Unlike plants aerial growth, average yield of first years are the same among management systems.•Intercropping with Brachiaria reduces soil moisture but not lead water stress to Coffee plants.