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:cesandiego@ucanr.edu

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.