Responsiveness of Arabica coffee cultivars to skeleton pruning in a low-altitude region

Skeleton pruning is a type of pruning that, by cutting lateral branches (plagiotropic), allows the reinvigoration of coffee plants through the renewal of productive branches. The crop response to this management may be affected by several factors, such as the trees age, crop practices, and, mainly, the genotype. This study aimed to identify the Arabica coffee cultivars with greatest responsiveness to skeleton pruning and desirable productive and qualitative characteristics in a low-altitude region. The experiment was conducted in northeastern Sao Paulo state, Brazil, at an altitude of 565 m. The experimental design was randomized blocks with four replicates, and the treatments consisted of 17 short-stature Arabica coffee cultivars. On average, the responsiveness of the cultivars to pruning was 32% in the first year and 14% in the second year. The cultivars IAC Catuai SH3, IAC Ouro Verde, IAC Obata 4739, Tupi IAC 1669-33, Catigua MG1, Oeiras MG 6851, Pau-Brasil MG1, Sacramento MG1, IPR 99, IPR 103, and Sabia Tardio were responsive to skeleton pruning. Among these, Catigua, Oeiras, Sacramento, and Sabia stood out with pruning responsiveness above 45%. The cultivars Obata IAC 4739, Tupi IAC 1669-33, and Catuai SH3 stood out in terms of yield, with an average between 40 and 50 bags ha-1. In addition to high yields, the cultivar Obata IAC 4739 obtained grains with higher weight and sieve 17. Skeleton pruning was found to be genotype dependent and emerged as a viable alternative for revitalizing Arabica coffee cultivars in low-altitude regions. The cultivars responsiveness to pruning was 32% in the first year and 14% in the second year.Catigua, Oeiras, Sacramento, and Sabia stood out with pruning responsiveness above 45%.Obata IAC 4739, Tupi IAC 1669-33, and Catuai SH3 stood out with yields between 40 and 50 bags ha-1.All cultivars have beverages with scores from 79 to 82.5 on the Specialty Coffee Association scale.Skeleton pruning is a viable alternative to reinvigorate coffee cultivars in a low-altitude region.