Effect of Variety and Climatic Seasonality on Soil Intracellular Enzymatic Activities in Coffee Agroforestry Systems

Most soil physicochemical parameters do not respond immediately to changes in management when compared to microbiological and biochemical ones; the study of biological and biochemical quality of soils can serve as indicators of their general condition. Enzymatic activities are important in the biochemical functioning of soils. In this work, the activity of three intracellular enzymes of the soil was evaluated: dehydrogenase activity, florescein diacetate hydrolysis and arginine deaminase, its seasonal fluctuation and the effect of two coffee varieties Caturra and Catuai on an agroforestry system. The soil samples were taken during the dry and rainy seasons in two contiguous plots sown with the two coffee varieties and in each one a non-systematic zigzag sampling was carried out. The physical, chemical properties and intracellular enzymatic activities of the soil were determined by the classical methods of analysis and following standard protocols. It was observed that the dehydrogenase activity and hydrolysis of fluorescein diacetate had greater activity in the rainy season regardless of the variety, whereas arginine deaminase showed more activity in the dry season and for the Caturra variety. The intracellular enzymatic activities showed sensitivity to the changes during the sampling period, in soils planted with coffee varieties Caturra and Catuai.