Phenotypic plasticity of leaf descriptors of arabica coffee in response to contrasting conditions of nitrogen availability during planting

Intrinsic factors to plant genetics in combination with environmental factors determine their development and yield. This work was carried out with the objective of evaluating the effect of contrasting conditions of nitrogen availability, during the implantation of the crop, on the leaf development of arabica coffee plants. The work followed a randomized block design, testing three contrasting conditions of nitrogen availability (50%, 100% and 150% of the recommendation for planting), in eight replications. The plants were cultivated and evaluated six months after planting, with quantification of morphophysiological variables related to their leaf development. The contrasting conditions of nitrogen availability caused differences for most leaf development descriptors. Limiting the nitrogen availability in planting fertilization to 50% of the recommendation can cause losses in the accumulation of leaf biomass. Increasing the amount of nitrogen available in the planting fertilizer to 150% of the recommendation can lead to gains in area and leaf nitrogen content. However, chlorophyll content, leaf dry matter and net carbon assimilation rate did not benefit from this increase in fertilization. The magnitude of the phenotypic alteration caused by the change in nitrogen availability at planting, in young coffee plants, made it possible to verify a higher expression of phenotypic plasticity for leaf biomass, leaf area, net carbon assimilation rate and chlorophyll b content. Meanwhile, a lesser plasticity can be observed for leaf nitrogen and chlorophyll a content.