Coffee(CoffeaArabica):ANewPlant/CropforSouthernCaliforniaRamiroLobo,FarmAdvisor;GaryTanizaki,StaffResearchAssociateandOthonielPacheco,FieldTechnician
UniversityofCaliforniaCooperativeExtension,SanDiegoCounty
WhataboutCoffee?AFewFactsandFigures:Coffeeissecondonlytooilastheworld’smosttradedcommoditywithavalueofmorethan$100billionannually.Fivehundred(500)billioncupsofcoffeearedrankdaily(14billionItalianespressos)andcoffeefarmssupport25millionpeopleworldwide(itisgrownin50countriesinAsia,Africa,SouthAmerica,CentralAmerica&theCaribbean)with67%ofallcoffeegrownintheAmericas(BusinessInsider’s11IncredibleFactsabouttheGlobalCoffeeIndustryhttp://www.businessinsider.com/).AccordingtotheSpecialtyCoffeeAssociationofAmerica,overhalfofAmericansover18drinkcoffeedailyandAmericancoffeedrinkersconsumeanaverageof3.5cupsaday.Interestincoffeehasincreaseddramaticallyoverthepastfewyearsandmorepeopleareinterestedincoffeeasadrinkandalsoingrowingtheplants.Coffeeplantspropagatefromseedandarerelativelyeasytogrowandmaintain,eitherindoorsoroutdoors.Theymakegreathouseplantsbecauseoftheirshinygreenfoliage,whitejasmine-scentedaromaticflowers,colorfulfruit(berries)andthechancetogrow,harvestandroastyourowncupofcoffee!
CoffeeTypesandOrigin–Arabicavs.Bourbon:CoffeeisindigenoustoEthiopiaandwastakenfromtheretoYemenandtoReunionIsland(formerlyIslandofBourbon)whichresultedintwolinesorcultivars(ArabicaandBourbon)thatspreadallovertheworld.MostoldcoffeevarietiescultivatedinLatinAmericaandHawaiiaremutations,selectionsorcrossesofArabicaorBourboncoffeecultivarsandareallconsideredArabicaCoffees.
ClimaticRequirements:Coffeeisusuallygrownasanunderstorycropbutadaptswelltofullsunintropicalenvironments.Optimumtemperaturesrangeforcoffeerangefrom59to75F(15-24C),soitshouldgrowwellinmostfrost-freemicroclimatesinSouthernCalifornia.Theplantswillbedamagedorkilledbyfreezingtemperatures,extremeheatandhighwindssocoffeemustbeplantedinwindprotected,partiallyshadedareastominimizeexposuretodirectsunlightornearawindow,awayfromdirectsunlightifgrownindoors.Coffeeplantslikehighhumiditywithwell-definedrainyanddryseasons.ArabicaCoffeegrowsbetterataltitudesbetween1800-3600feet;whereasRobustagrowsfromsealevelto3000feet.
SoilRequirements:Coffeeplantspreferwelldrained,slightlyacidicsoilswithhighorganicmattercontent.IfsoilpHordrainageisanissue,theymustbecorrectedbeforeplantingtoencouragepropernutritionandhealthyplantgrowth.Coffeeplantsgrowwellincontainerswithaslightlyacidicmixamendedasneededwithmulchorothersourceoforganicmatter.Nurseryplantscanbetransplanteddirectlytothesoilorrepottedinto5gallonpotstoaccommodatetherootsystemandpromotegrowth.Thelargerthepot,thelargerandfullertheplantwillbesotheplantsshouldbegraduallyre-pottedasneededintolargerpots.Azaleamixoranyacidlovingplantmixcouldbeusedbutshouldbeamendedwithorganicmatterand/orperlitetoimprovedrainageandairporosity.
IrrigationandWaterRequirements:Coffeeplantslikewateranddogreatunderhighhumiditybuttheyalsolikewell-definedrainyanddryseasons.Youmustwaterenoughtokeepthesoilmoist,butnotsaturated.Wateringshouldbereducedtoaminimumduringthewinterandresumedtonormalinthespringtoinduceflowering.Coffeerootsarefibrousandsomewhatshallowsohigherfrequencyandshorterirrigationsarebetter.Overheadirrigation(sprinklerorhose)couldbeusedtokeeptheplantsclean,increaseambienthumidityandstimulatebuddevelopment.Coffeeplantsareverysensitivetooverandunderwateringandtheywilltellyouwhentheyneedwater(theywillwilt)orwhentheyareoverirrigated(blackspotsontheleaves).Bothextremesshouldbeavoidedtomaintainahealthyplant.
FeedingYourCoffeePlants:Fertilizeyourplantwithacompleteformula(NPK)whenre-pottingyournurseryplanttoalargerpotortransplantingtothesoil.Youngnurseryplantsshouldbereceiveasmallamountofslowreleasefertilizertostartandincreaseamountgraduallyastheplantgrows.Small,frequentapplicationsoffertilizerarebetterthanlargeramountsappliedafewtimesayear,soyoushouldapply0.5to1.0ounceofslowreleasefertilizerperplantinpotsorsoilrespectivelyonabimonthlyorquarterlybasis,increasingtheamountgraduallyeachyearuntilyearfourwhere
Variety Height Type/OriginCatuai Semi-dwarf Bourbon
Pacamara Dwarf BourbonLempira Dwarf Hybrid(Catimor)Catimor Dwarf Hybrid(Catimor)
Parainema Dwarf Hybrid(Sarchimor)Caturra Dwarf BourbonIcatu Tall Hybrid
Ihcafe-90 Dwarf Hybrid(Catimor)CatuaiComun Semi-Dwarf Bourbon
Catuai Improved Semi-Dwarf BourbonTypica-L Tall Arabica
UCCooperativeExtension9335HazardWay,Suite201
SanDiego,CA92123Phone:858.822.7711
Fax:858.822.7667Email:[email protected]
youshouldmaxoutat2and4ouncesperplantinpotsorinthesoil.Coffeeplantsrespondwelltofoliarfertilizationsoapplyafoliarfertilizerwithbothmacroandmicro-nutrientsonamonthlybasis.
Flowering,Fruiting,Harvesting:Coffeeplantsfromearlyvarietiesflower2-3yearsaftertransplanting,butlatevarietieswilltake3ormoreyears.Flowersclusteraroundtheaxiloftheleaves,theyarefragrantandsmall,with5whitepetalsthatopeninthemorningandlastfor2days.C.arabicaflowersareselffertileandself-pollinating,taking9to11monthsfrombloomtoharvest.Coffeeisusuallypickedbyhand,selectingtheberriesthatarefullyripe,whentheyexpressfullcolorofthevarietygrown.
CoffeeVarietiesUnderStudy/AvailableTypicaorArabica(Etiopia)-Tallplant(3.0mts.)withlonginternodesandlateralbranchesforming60degreeanglefrommainaxis.Leavesarenarrowanddullgreencoloredwithterminalleaves/newshootsbronzeincolor.Verygoodcupqualitywithaboveaveragesizedbeansize,howeverthevarietyhaslowproductivity,lowtolerancetowind,leadingtofruitdrop,andhighsusceptibilitytocoffeeleafrustfungus.Thisvarietyisnotusuallyrecommendedforplanting,butalwaysincludedasareference.Wehavetwolinesoftypica,Typica-L(fromLempiraProvinceinWesternHonduras)andTypica-EM(fromOlanchoProvinceinCentralHonduras).
Catuai(Brasil)–Semi-dwarfplant(2.25mts)resultingfromacrossbetweenMundoNovoandCaturrawithshortinternodesandlateralbranchesat45degreeanglefrommainverticalaxis.TheterminalleavesornewshootsarelimeGreen.Thisvarietyhasgoodcupqualitywithaveragebeansize,aboveaverageproductivity,andgoodresistancetowindbutishighlysusceptibletocoffeeleafrust.TherearethreedifferentlinesofCatuaiavailableforsale,Catuai(fromOlanchoProvince,Honduras),CommonCatuai(fromLaPazProvince,Honduras)andImprovedCatuai(fromMarcala,Honduraswithhighertolerancetocoffeeleafrust).
Caturra(Brazil)–Dwarf,compactplant(1.80mts.)resultingfromanaturalmutationofBourbón,withshortinternodesandlateralbranchesforming45degreeanglesfrommainaxis.Matureleavesareroundandshiny,glossywithterminalleaves/newshootsbeinglimegreencolor.Excellentproducerwithgoodcupqualityandwindresistancebuthighlysusceptibletocoffeeleafrustandtonematodes.
Catimor(Brazil)–ThisisoneofthemanycultivarsresultingfromthecrossbetweentheHybridfromTimorandCaturra.Theplantsaredwarfandhighlyproductive,andcanbeoverbearingwhichreducestheirlifespan.Thisvarietyhaslowcupqualitybutithasgoodresistancetocoffeeleafrustandsomenematodes.
Icatu(Brazil)–Tallplant,hybridbetweenC.canephoraandredBourbon.Goodcupqualitywithhighproductivityandresistanttocoffeeleafrust.
Ihcafe-90(Honduras)–Dwarfcompactplant,Catimorselectionwithshortinternodesanddarkbronzecoloredterminalleavesornewshoots.Highproductionpotentialwithverylowcupquality,averagebeansizeandgoodresistancetocoffeeleafrust.
Lempira(Honduras)–DwarfCatimorselectionwithshortinternodesandterminalleaves/newshootsarebronzecolored.Highproductivepotentialwithlowcupquality.Welladaptedtowarmerclimatesandacidicsoilswithgoodresistancetocoffeeleafrust.
Parainema(Honduras)–Dwarf,sarchimorselectionwithshortinternodesandgreenterminalleavesornewshoots.Goodcupqualitywithlargebeans,aboveaverageproductivity.Itiswelladaptedtomediumaltitudesandshowsgoodresistancetocoffeeleafrustandtosomenematodes.
Pacamara(ElSalvador)–DwarfplantresultingfromacrossbetweenPacasandMaragogype,withshortinternodes,largeleaves,largefruitandbeansize,andgreenorbronzecoloredterminalleavesorshoots.Thisvarietyhasverygoodcupqualitywithhighproductionpotential.Howeverthevarietyshowsgreatvariability(nothomogeneus)andissusceptibletocoffeeleafrustandnematodes.
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