Coffee (Coffea arabica L.) harvesting time and its influence on the seed quality of the Costa Rica 95 and Garnica varieties.

Objective: To determine the impact of the harvesting time of two coffee varieties on the physical quality and viability of seeds, using the tetrazolium testing. Design/Methodology/Approach: The research was carried out using a completely randomized design; the evaluation of the embryo viability was based on a five-color pattern staining design. The Garnica and Costa Rica 95 varieties and two harvesting times were used (December and January). An analysis of variance and a Tukey’s means comparison test (p≤0.05) were carried out, using the SAS 902 software. Results: The study varieties showed significative differences in all the variables related to the physical quality of the seeds, including volumetric weight and weight of 1,000 seeds. The best seed viability was obtained during the harvest carried out in January. Study Limitations/Implications: The results obtained are limited to the varieties in question, as well as the environmental conditions and period during which the said varieties were evaluated. Conclusions: The harvesting time of the two varieties of coffee has an influence on the physical characteristics of the seeds and on the viability, evaluation carried out using tetrazolium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]