Coffee Family - Rubiaceae Genus - Coffea Species - arabica and canephora

Coffea arabica

Gresser, Charis and Sophia Tickell. “Mugged: Poverty in Your Cup.” Oxfam International 2002:7 Where is Coffee Grown? About 28 of the world's tropical countries contribute significantly to the 11 million hectares devoted to coffee plantations, spilling 6.2 million metric tons of green coffee beans in 1998.

Where is coffee grown? r = robusta production, a = arabica, m = mixture Coffee is cultivated mainly in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Some of the main producer-countries are Brazil, Columbia, Indonesia, Mexico, Ethiopia, Guatemala, India, Uganda, and others

Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Two Types of Coffee About 90 Coffea spp in Africa Arabica, C. arabica Tetraploid, self fertile Ethiopia highlands – >1600m – 15-24°C – 1300 mm Best quality Susceptible to rust Robusta, C. canephora Diploid, self incompatible Rain forest of Congo basin – <750m – 24-30°C – 1550 mm Less flavor, acidity Resistant to rust

PLOIDY = # sets of chromosomes Haploid = 1 set of chromosomes Diploid = 2 sets of chromosomes Triploid = 3 sets of chromosomes Quadraploid = 4 sets of chromosomes etc.. Polyploid = greater than 3 sets (a generalized term)

1 set of chromosomes with banding = haploid set

Coffee chromsomes and genes Chromosomes: arabica has double the number of chromosomes at 44 than robusta at 22.

Genes code for specific traits, like pod shape, flower color, etc. Figure 9.2C This illustration shows his technique for cross-fertilization without bees! 1 Removed stamens from purple flower White Stamens Carpel Purple PARENTS (P) OFF- SPRING (F 1 ) 2 Transferred pollen from stamens of white flower to carpel of purple flower 3 Pollinated carpel matured into pod 4 Planted seeds from pod

Alternative forms of a gene reside at the same location on pairing chromosomes Pairs of chromosomes: One chromosome from each parent: and each has a gene for each characteristic = pairs of the same gene or different (= hybrids) GENE LOCATION Figure 9.4 PaB B=DOMINANT gene B=recessive gene Pab GENOTYPE:PPaaBb Both the same dominant gene Both dominant + recessive gene Both the same recessive gene

MEIOSIS: gamete formation = egg + sperm Ploidy is reduced by half 2N to N4N to 2N 102N to 51N (many ferns)

Mendel studied seven pea characteristics Figure 9.2D He hypothesized that there are alternative forms of genes (although he did not use that term), the units that determine heredity FLOWER COLOR FLOWER POSITION SEED COLOR SEED SHAPE POD SHAPE POD COLOR STEM LENGTH PurpleWhite AxialTerminal YellowGreen RoundWrinkled InflatedConstricted GreenYellow TallDwarf

Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Coffee Production and Yield Africa C. Amer S. America Asia

COFFEE GROWN WITHOUT SHADE Fields with coffee bushes grown under direct sunlight are referred to as technified farms. There is, for instance, an array of shade levels within coffee farms all over the northern portion of Latin America Some farms have no shade at all, such as this technified farm.

COFFEE WITH MINIMAL SHADE Other farms, like this one in the image on the screen, have some trees. For all intents and purposes, however, such shade does little in the way of providing habitat for migratory forest songbirds or resident birds associated with the local area.

DISEASE SPURS SUN COFFEE RISE Much of the impetus for technification in Central America, the Caribbean and even in Colombia came from the arrival of one of coffee's most dreaded diseases: coffee leaf rust. This leaf with yellow spots is typical of how infected vegetation appears. A fungal disease caused by the fungus (Hemileia vastratrix), this disease devastated the coffee area of Sri Lanka in the 1870s and 1880s. Some reports maintain that this then- British colony (Ceylon) switched to growing tea—as did the British in general—because of this pathogen.

Dependency on Coffee Gresser, Charis and Sophia Tickell. “Mugged: Poverty in Your Cup.” Oxfam International 2002:8

Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Two Species (Types) of Coffee About 90 Coffea spp in Africa Arabica, C. arabica Medium size tree – 14-20’ tall Medium vigor Leaves – Smaller – Thinner Seedlings uniform Robusta, C. canephora Medium to large tree – Up to 32’ tall Vigorous Leaves – Larger – Thicker Seedlings variable

Coffee Berries (Beans)

Coffee Beans

Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University The Seed of the Fruit is the Economic Part A Drupe like a Peach Both begin bearing in 3-4 years Time to mature fruit – Arabica, 7-8 months – Robusta, months Productive for years Both need pruning for best production

Various Roasts

Coffee Seedlings - Brazil

Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Coffee Production Planting – Slightly acid (pH 5.2 to 6.3) well drained soil – Beginning of wet season – Vertical position or 30° angle Spacing- need light for fruit ripening – Arabica, 1350 trees/ha – Robusta, trees/ha Time to fruiting – Take 3-4 years to obtain mature plant – Fruit on year old wood

Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Coffee Tree Growth Cycle Dry and/or cool season – Floral initiation – Reduced vegetative growth Wet season – Flowers open, fruit set and begin development – Active vegetative growth Dry and/or cool season – Fruit ripen – Flower buds initiate – Reduced vegetative growth

Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Shade and Coffee Production Data from Wilson, Coffee, Cocoa, and Tea, Figure 6.4. Conclusion: High input system - better with fertilizer Low input system - not as essential

What is Shade-Grown Coffee? Sun vs. Shade Coffee

All Audubon Coffees are Certified Shade-Grown and Organic.

Smithsonian Research Researchers at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center found of all agricultural systems in the tropics, traditionally-managed coffee plantations support more species of birds -- over than any other type of agriculture.

Traditionally, coffee was grown under a canopy of shade trees, providing critical wintering habitat for many species of migratory birds and preserving the rich biodiversity inherent in tropical rainforests.

Increasingly, however, industrial coffee farms, where land is cleared of its lush vegetation to grow coffee in full sun, are replacing traditional coffee farms. With this conversion from traditional shade grown to industrial sun-grown coffee comes a corresponding decrease in migratory bird species, and this decrease in species diversity is dramatic -- over 90% fewer bird species are found on sun-grown coffee farms than on shade-grown coffee farms.

Audubon Coffee Powerpoint /Get_Involved/Chapter%20Outreach/NWSCC_ slideshow_non-IE.htm /Get_Involved/Chapter%20Outreach/NWSCC_ slideshow_non-IE.htm

The Wood Thrush, Shade Grown Coffee The New Hope Audubon Society Fred Houk, Jr. December 30, 2000, Chapel Hill Herald

Environmental Impacts Over the past 30 years, >1/2 of the traditional shade-grown coffee farms in Latin America were changed to "sun-coffee" farms to increase production. This way involves clearing or thinning the shade trees and growing coffee plants under full or nearly full sun conditions.

Shade Grown Coffee – Costa Rica

Shade-Grown Coffee The site where Shade Grown Mexico coffee is produced The El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve in Chiapas, Mexico, where Shade Grown Mexico coffee comes from, is a region CI considers to be one of the world’s most environmentally sensitive. CI and Starbucks support farmers who grow coffee under the protection of shade, creating and maintaining a forested buffer zone around the Reserve. Results so far In 2001, farmers producing Shade Grown Mexico received a 60 percent price premium over local prices for their coffee, and exported 50% more than the previous year. Since 1998, the number of cooperatives involved in the project doubled. Today there are nearly 700 farmers and more than 2000 hectares involved in the program.

Environmental Impacts Technified coffee production causes a large number of species’ extinction. – Technified coffee farms have fewer bird species than traditional shade coffee--ninety percent fewer species. (Rice and Roberts ch.4) Sun-grown coffee is a threat for birds because as more shade- grown coffee is converted to sun-grown coffee, more birds will loose their habitat. Other essential diverse species that sun-grown coffee lacks are beetles, ants, wasps, and spiders. Moreover, bats, which are important seed dispersers and pollinators of many tree species, can not be found in technified coffee farms (ch. 4) B

Environmental Impacts – Technified coffee has worse soil quality than traditional coffee. The reduction of tree cover, natural predators, and organic materials leads to higher rates of nutrient-leaching, and higher erosion. “When you cut down a forest [shade coffee], rain flows over the top of the soil, causing erosion and saltation that winds up in the river.” (Wexler, par 16)

Environmental Impacts – The large amounts of chemicals used in technified coffee contaminate our environment and they do not obey national or international boundaries. Damages include: Contamination of waterways and water tables (aquifers) Damage to soil microorganisms. Eutrophication (overgrowth of algae in river, [which depletes the oxygen in the water.]) Creates air pollution. Creates pesticide-resistant weeds and insects.