Regarding the influence of the air temperature on coffee flowering, some studies show conflicting data. While Went (1957) showed that temperatures combined at 30°C day/ 23°C night induced more floral buds, Mes (1957) showed that buds were undifferentiated at 30°C day/17°C night and 30°C day/23°C night. Nevertheless, Mes (1957) determined that at 23°C day/17°C night bud formation increased. On the other hand, floral initiation was also very satisfactory in combinations of 23°C/20°C and 30°C/24°C, presenting faster bud development at higher temperatures or in these temperature combinations. Low temperatures (17°C day/12°C night; 20°C day/17°C night) inhibited floral initiation.
In Kenya, the rates of floral differentiation were high in cold months (Wormer and Gituanja 1970). In this sense, Browning (1973) suggested that a drop in air temperature followed by rain would play an important role in the dormancy break of floral buds in coffee plants. However, in this case, the available evidence is indirect, based on observations in which decreases in air temperature happen as a consequence of the rain, making it impossible to separate the effects from such environmental factors (Alvim 1985).