GENOTYPE SPECIES AND VARIETIES TO PLANT

Genotype species and varieties to plant

Species

There are two main species of commercial coffee - Coffea arabica and C. canephora (robusta) and two minor commercial species - Coffea liberica and Coffea excelsa.

Arabica is a higher quality and higher value coffee normally grown in cooler, elevated areas of the tropics and sub-tropics at 1000 m or more above sea level. Arabica is used in the roast and ground coffee market and is added to blends of Robusta to improve the quality of instant coffee. Brazil and Columbia are the major producing countries.

Robusta is a lower quality coffee and prices are normally about 30 to 40% less than Arabica. Robusta is used mainly in instant coffee and for blending with Arabicas to add body and crema. Robusta is normally grown in warmer areas at lower elevations unsuited to Arabica, and is considered resistant/tolerant to coffee rust. Lao PDR is an exception to this in that Robusta is grown at higher elevations (up to nearly 1300 m.a.s.l.). Vietnam, Brazil and Indonesia are the largest Robusta producing countries. Compared with Arabica, Robusta is generally more vigorous, more productive and less vulnerable to rust.

Liberica and Excelsa are grown mainly in low, hot climate areas. Quality is poor and markets are limited. These coffees are of local importance in a few countries and not of major commercial significance in the international coffee market. Both are present in the older Lao plantations, but have little future in the era of high quality coffee.

For Arabica, the improvement of genotype is achieved by proper choice of variety (cultivar). The variety of choice should ideally have the following characteristics:

• dwarfish or compact growth;
• high yield;
• leaf rust resistance, and
• outstanding cup quality.

Varieties to plant

Coffee is a long-term crop with a lifespan of more than 10 years, and considerably longer under good management, thus the choice of variety (cultivar) is very important. As quality of the coffee bean is crucial for production of high-grade coffee, choose only varieties that are recommended for your area. These will be the best yielding, best quality varieties that will grow productively in the local soils and climate.

For the Bolovens Plateaux the recommended Arabica cultivars are:

Catimor	T 5175
	T 8667
	LC 1662
	P 86
	P 88
	P 90

Arabica (especially at elevations above 1000 m.a.s.l.):

Typica

Other varieties are being tested at the Coffee Research Experimentation Centre and Dao Heuang Farm near Paksong (1180 m.a.s.l.). CREC will advise in the future those varieties that are suitable for planting after trials and cupping tests are completed. Comments on these varieties and others of significance being tested at CREC and Dao Heuang include these listed below and on the following pages.

Typica

Origin:	Probably Yemen, one of original Arabica coffee types.
Growth Habit:	Upright, vigorous.
Yield:	Low to moderate.
Rust resistance:	Very susceptible.
Cupping quality:	Excellent.
Comment:	Traditional type in Laos.

Java

Origin:	Indonesia.
Growth Habit:	Upright.
Yield:	Low.
Rust resistance:	Susceptible.
Cupping quality:	Excellent.

   S 795

Origin:	Introduced in 2004 from Myanmar. Selection of Balehonnur Coffee station in India. It is a cross between S 288 and Kent. S 288 is the first generation of S 26, a natural hybrid between C. Arabica and C. liberica
Growth habit:	Tall upright and open.
Yield:	Low.
Rust resistance:	Susceptible, but more tolerant with careful selection.
Cupping quality:	Excellent.
Comment:	Does not exhibit any Liberica characteristics. In Indonesia this variety has been selected for up to eight generations for rust tolerance and cupping quality and is an excellent variety in East Java.

Caturra

Origin:	Bourbon mutant from Brazil.
Growth habit:	Semi dwarf, dense foliage.
Yield:	Good.
Rust resistance:	Very susceptible.
Cupping quality:	Fair.
Comment:	Both red and yellow types exist. It succumbs to dieback problems under poor management.

Catuai

Origin:	A cross between Caturra x Mundo Novo.
Growth habit:	Semi dwarf and dense foliage.
Yield:	Very High.
Rust resistance:	Very Susceptible.
Cupping quality:	Good. Good bean size
Comment:	Later maturing. Tolerates poor management.

SL 34

Origin;	Kenya. A French Mission selection.
Growth habit:	Tall, upright and open canopy.
Yield:	Moderate to good.
Rust resistance:	Very susceptible.
Cupping quality:	Good.
Comment:	Large bean size, drought tolerant.

SL 28

Origin:	A Bourbon selection from Kenya.
Growth habit:	Tall, upright and open.
Yield:	Moderate to good.
Rust resistance:	Very susceptible.
Cupping quality:	Good.
Comment:	Large bean size, drought tolerance.

SL 6

Origin:	Kenya.
Growth habit:	Tall, upright and open.
Yield:	Moderate to good.
Rust resistance:	Resistance to Rust, Race II.
Cupping quality:	Good.
Comment:	Large bean size. Catimor Origin: A cross between Caturra and Hybrido de Timor (HDT). Hybrido de Timor is a natural cross between Arabica and Robusta from East Timor. Growth habit: Semi dwarf compact. Yield: Very high with correct management. Low with poor management and will die under poor management, especially if no shade is present. Rust resistance: Resistant to all races of rust provided careful selection is maintained. Cupping quality: Fair. Comments: Since the rapid spread of coffee rust in 1970 to the 1990s, there has been a concerted international effort to develop Catimor due to its rust resistance. A disadvantage is the small bean size and poorer cupping quality of the initial Catimors and the tendency of the plant to overproduce and thus suffer severe dieback and death. In recent years, a number of countries have begun breeding programmes to back-cross Catimor to pure Arabica lines to improve cupping quality and plant growth. Not all Catimors have the same cupping quality and work is currently underway to determine the most suitable varieties for Lao PDR. Catimors currently being evaluated include: Catimor H 528 A back-cross between the early Catimor HW 26 (Caturra x HDT 832/1) and Catuai Amarillo (yellow). Catimor H 528/46 Special selection from Thailand programme. Catimor H 420/9 A back-cross between the early Catimor HW 26 and Mundo Novo. Special selection from Thailand programme. Catimor P 86 Originally from Columbia. Catimor P 88 Originally from Columbia. Catimor P 90 Originally from Columbia. Catimor H 306 A back-cross between the early Catimor HW 26 and SL 28). Catimor C 1669 (Catimor x Villa Sarchi). Villa Sarchi is a mutant from Costa Rica. Semi dwarf. Catimor LC 1662 HDT 832/1 x Caturra, from Brazil. Catimor T 8667 From Costa Rica. Catimor T 5175 From Costa Rica. Environment (site selection) To grow and produce good quality coffee, several important environmental factors should be taken into account. These include: Elevation and temperature; Rainfall and water supply; Soil; Aspect and slope. Elevation Elevation influences a number of these factors and must be considered along with temperature, rainfall and water supply, soil, slope and aspect when determining where to plant coffee. An elevation greater than 1000 m above sea level (m.a.s.l.) is required for Arabica coffee. Low elevation Arabica coffee does not possess the quality required by the world markets. In Lao PDR, areas above 1000 metres are preferred for production of superior quality coffee and the Bolovens Plateaux have ample areas of land at 1000 to 1300 m.a.s.l. High elevation improves the quality of the bean and potential cupping quality. Due to a delay in ripening brought about by cooler weather associated with higher altitudes, the inherent characteristics of acidity, aroma and bold bean can develop fully. (Bold bean is classified as being the size between a large and a medium sized bean, with its width/ length ratio bigger than that of a large bean). Temperature Arabica coffee prefers a cool temperature with an optimum daily temperature of between 20° to 24°C. The average mean temperatures of selected areas of the Bolovens Plateaux (Figure 1) are: Rainfall and water supplyTemperatures greater than 30°C cause plant stress leading to a cessation of photosynthesis. Mean temperatures of less than 15°C limit plant growth and are considered sub-optimal. Arabica coffee is frost susceptible. Use of shade trees will reduce the incidence of frost. Ideal rainfall for Arabica coffee is greater than 1200 to 1500 mm per year. Both the total amount and the distribution pattern are important. Annual rainfall on the Bolovens Plateaux. Rain should to be uniformly distributed over seven to nine months of the year, as is the case especially at higher elevations on the Bolovens Plateaux. At lower elevations, the dry season is often too pronounced. Lack of rainfall in either amount or timing can be compensated for by using irrigation. Coffee needs a dry, stress period with little or no rain to induce a uniform flowering. Without a stress period, flowering many extend over many months making harvesting more difficult. Lao normally has such a stress period of three to four months of dry weather at elevations of 1000 m.a.s.l. or more. Soil type For successful production, a free draining soil with a minimum depth of one metre is required. Coffee will not tolerate waterlogging or 'wet feet'. Coffee can be grown on many different soil types, but the ideal is a fertile, volcanic red earth or a deep, sandy loam. Yellow-brown, high silt soils are less preferred. Avoid heavy clay or poor-draining soils. Most soils on the Bolovens Plateaux are volcanic red earths suitable for coffee. Coffee prefers a soil with pH of 5 to 6. Many cultivated soils of the Bolovens Plateaux are acid (less than pH 5) and need lime or dolomite. Few soil test results exist, but indicator plants point to a pH less than 5 with low available phosphorus and thus shortages of many other nutrients. Low pH will limit crop performance by upsetting the availability of key nutrients to coffee plants . Good management and applications of dolomite or lime can alter and improve soil pH and fertility. Slope and aspect  An easterly or southern facing aspect with a slope less than 15% is preferable. Most locations on the Bolovens Plateaux have a gentle slope and no extra measures are required. Steeper slopes present a major erosion risk and require terracing or special management such as contour furrows or preferably grass strips. A slight slope will improve air drainage and reduce damage from frost. Do not plant coffee at the bottom of a slope or in shallow dips where cold air can pool, as frost damage is more likely here. Usually it is best not to plant the bottom third of a slope as it will be colder and sometimes waterlogged. Exposed aspects subject to strong winds, should either be avoided or windbreaks such as Silver Oak (Grevillea robusta) established before planting the coffee trees. Water supply Coffee requires adequate water during the growing and cropping period, however it also requires a dry stress period followed by sufficient rain or irrigation to promote uniform flowering and a good fruit set. Many plantings suffer from moisture stress at the time of year when they need adequate water for growth and cropping (see the phenological cycle page 70). The local rainfall pattern indicates that supplemental irrigation, especially to induce uniform flowering and good fruit set, would be beneficial. Unless regular rain is received, young trees should be irrigated (or hand watered at least twice a week if irrigation is not available) to ensure establishment of the newly planted trees. Locating coffee plantings near a water supply for possible irrigation as well as for processing of cherry is desirable. Water requirements can be reduced by use of proper, well-established, shade trees, mulch and cover crops. These practices are discussed in later sections. The coffee plant and its management An understanding of the coffee plant, its make up and how it grows is essential to understanding how to manage the coffee tree. Management, like the growing environment and the variety planted, has a very big influence on coffee quality and yield. Much of the rest of this manual deals with practical management of the coffee tree from planting to harvest. Vertical or orthotropic branches have nodes at a regular distance and carry opposite leaves. These branches are called suckers at the developing stage and stems at the final stage. Each leaf pair is cross-positioned to the next leaf pair. In the axil of each leaf, are four to six serial buds and directly above them, one slightly bigger bud called 'extra-axillary bud' because of its relatively distant position. This extra-axillary bud develops into a plagiotropic or lateral, horizontal branch. Lateral or plagiotropic branches grow almost at right angles from the main stems. No other bud in the same axil can grow into a lateral branch, which means that if such a branch is cut off, no lateral regeneration can occur on the node of a main vertical stem. Laterals are usually called primaries. Each serial bud on a primary can develop into an inflorescence (flower) or into a secondary branch, which has a similar structure to the primary branch with serial buds that develop either into flowers or tertiary branches. If a secondary branch is cut or removed, another secondary on the same axil can replace it, so regeneration of secondaries on primaries is possible. Each branch has a terminal bud. In the nodes are a fixed number of buds that have the potential to form 40 fruits depending mainly on the species and nutritional conditions. At each leaf node there are 5 buds each with 4 flowers, which may form 20 fruits (Figure 5). The white flowers appear in small bunches at the nodes. After pollination, a fruit develops into a cherry about 10 to 15 mm long containing two seeds (the coffee beans). Technically, the flowers form on the one-year-old wood that is only slightly hardened. The fruits comprise pulp (coloured skin and a fleshy mesocarp called mucilage), then parchment, then the silverskin (seed coat)................Continue................