ABSTRACT: The objective of this research was to define irrigation scheduling for coffee trees in the brazilian Cerrado region to optimize yield and coffee grain quality. The experimental treatments were: a) irrigation all over the year (RH1), suplemental water application after blossoming induced by rain (RH4), stop water application, at the harvesting time from June 15 to end of August until leaf water potential measured at pre-dawn reached - 2.0 MPa (RH3) and - 3,4 MPa (RH4) and rainfed crop. The soil water content was monitored by using a profile probe of 1 m. Water was applied to fill the soil profile of 0.40m until field capacity (-0,0008 MPa) as soil water depletion reached 50% of available soil water. The results shows that stopping irrigation from June 15 to end of August, until leaf potential, measured at pre-drawn, reached value of - 2.0 MPa resulted in just on uniform blossoming period, more than 80% pf mature grain at harvesting time and yield of 4.200 kg.ha(-1) of peeled coffee grain in the last three comercial harvesting.bitstream/CPAC-2009/27309/1/comtec_122.pd
