Shadow tree
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A shade tree is the name given to trees that are planted to provide shade .
Here in this article almost only the use in organic coffee growing is presented. This is a very limited representation of the term. So one also speaks of shade trees with shade-giving ornamental trees .
This should not be confused with shade-loving trees that do not provide shade, but rather thrive in the shade.
History in coffee plantations
Around 100 years ago it was common practice in coffee cultivation to have the coffee plants shaded by larger trees. Coffee trees that have grown in the wild are also found mainly under larger trees.
In the course of the mechanization of the last century, however, more and more shade trees were felled because they stood in the way of the machines. More and more manual work was replaced by mechanization.
Recently, however, it has been found that you tend to have more yield under shade, which is why you are now returning to cultivation under shade.
Agriculture today
coffee
In tropical agriculture, shade trees are used to protect crops from excessive solar radiation. For the organic cultivation of coffee, plantations with mixed cultures of coffee plants and shade trees are created. When growing coffee organically, banana, grapefruit and avocado trees are preferred , as are eucalyptus , pineapple and papaya . Their tasks are to loosen up the soil, protect it from erosion , sun and wind. Furthermore, they can compensate for the differences between day and night in terms of temperature at higher altitudes. Together with soil mulch, shade trees also contribute to weed control and plant health. A lower need for fertilizer and less erosion are observed than in the case of highly industrialized, shadowless cultivation. In addition, shade trees reduce evaporation and thus the irrigation intensity, which is an essential factor when resources are becoming scarcer. Because of the lower dew formation, the mushroom pressure drops. If the shade trees are legumes , there is also almost no competition for nutrients.
Despite everything, shade trees in machine farming still stand in the way of modern machines. This is why Brazilian growers have bred types of coffee that grow well even without shade.
cocoa
For cocoa trees, shade trees are also required in organic farming.
Tea cultivation
In tea cultivation, shade trees play a role in every cultivation method.
Ecological aspects
Since ecology is playing an increasingly important role in coffee cultivation, the role of shade trees is also increasing here. They allow the creation of natural habitats within agricultural areas, which is not possible in shadowless agricultural regions.
Because of the great contribution of shade trees to the conservation of songbird species, a certificate called Bird Friendly is awarded, which is controversial because of its award policy. It is given to farmers with a high density of shade trees, but only if these were not already there and were planted separately.
Another well-known name is shade-grown coffee .
Examples
The following are used as shade trees:
- Bananas : They are not trees.
- Areca palm : A tree-shaped life form.
- Inga
- Silver Tree ( Leucadendron argenteum )
- Sopota
Web links
- Page about organic coffee growing
- Article about coffee growing with shade trees
- Commentary on the role of shade trees in coffee growing
See also to see roughly the opposite
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Entry about shadows on the Schwitzer coffee side ( memento of the original from October 11, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ page about organic coffee growing
- ↑ Report on shade tree cultures for coffee and cocoa. ( Memento of the original from November 24, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 2.2 MB)
- ^ Shade and Shade Trees at Tea Research Association, Kolkata, India. ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Info from the coffee dictionary
- ↑ a b c d e Entry banana in the coffee dictionary
