Arabica Coffee Seedling Growth under Drought with Potassium, Boron, and Trichoderma spp.
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Drought stress during the seedling stage can restrict vegetative growth and compromise the successful establishment of Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica L.) under field conditions. This study evaluated the individual and combined effects of potassium (K), boron (B), and Trichoderma spp. on the morphological growth responses of LS 795 Arabica coffee seedlings under drought stress and during subsequent recovery. The experiment was conducted at the Bale Tatanen Experimental Garden, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Padjadjaran, Jatinangor, Indonesia, from February to May 2026. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) was employed, comprising eight treatments with four replications. The treatments included an untreated control, potassium (1.38 g/L), boron (384 mg/L), Trichoderma spp. (20 g/plant), and their respective combinations. Plant height, leaf area, and leaf number were measured throughout an 18-day drought stress period and the subsequent recovery phase following rewatering. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed no statistically significant treatment effects on plant height, leaf area, or leaf number during the drought stress period. However, significant differences in plant height emerged during the recovery phase, particularly at 15 days after rewatering, when seedlings treated with K + Trichoderma spp. and K + B + Trichoderma spp. exhibited the greatest plant heights, significantly exceeding those of the untreated control. In contrast, leaf area and leaf number did not differ significantly among treatments during recovery. These findings indicated that the tested treatments did not significantly alleviate drought-induced growth suppression during the stress period. Nevertheless, potassium application combined with Trichoderma spp., either with or without boron supplementation, was associated with improved plant height during post-drought recovery. The results suggest that these treatment combinations may support the recovery of vegetative growth in Arabica coffee seedlings following drought stress, although further investigation is required to determine their effects on physiological drought tolerance and long-term field establishment.
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