Chloride Applied via Fertilizer Affects Plant Nutrition and Coffee Quality.

The present study had the objective to evaluate the effect of blends of KCl and KSO fertilizers and their influence on the yield and the nutritional state of coffee plants, as well as on the chemical composition and quality of the coffee beverage. The experimental design was in randomized blocks with four repetitions and six treatments (T1: 100% KCl; T2: 75% KCl + 25% KSO; T3: 50% KCl + 50% KSO; T4: 25% KCl + 75% KSO; T5: 100% KSO; and a control, without application of K). The following analyses were performed: K and Cl content in the leaves and the soil, stocks of Cl in soil, yield, removal of K and Cl with the beans, cup quality of the beverage, polyphenol oxidase activity (PPO), electric conductivity (EC), potassium leaching (KL), the content of phenolic compounds, the content of total sugars (TS), and total titratable acidity (TTA).