Agronomic variables that determine the productivity of coffee crops in farms of the Caldas Department. Variables agronómicas determinantes de la productividad del cultivo de café en fincas del departamento de Caldas

This study analyzed the agronomic variables that determine the productivity of coffee crops, which could be managed by coffee producers in order to increase crop productivity. This research was conducted at coffee farms in the Caldas Department that were part of the enterprise management program of the Committee of Coffee Growers of Caldas, during the year 2013. A modified Cobb-Douglas type production function was used because it allows to visualize the influence of the agronomic variables in the explanation of the crop productivity process. Five of the studied variables had significant influence because of their effect in the crop productivity variations; the most important was sowing density, expressed in number of coffee trees per planted hectare. The field work provides information that allows to explain to coffee producers the impact of technical decisions on productivity in the long term; it also allows to show such factor to extension agents in order to strengthen the technology transfer strategy of the growers.