COFFEE TREE
The coffee 'tree' is actually a variety of tropical evergreen shrub. Coffee trees do not begin to produce its full yield until its sixth year and will continue prime production for about ten years; however Coffee plants may live on for 60 years. The tree, if left alone will grow to a height of between 16 and 40 feet. In most coffee plantations the trees are kept at a manageable six feet to get the best yield and to make it easier to harvest. The best growing conditions are in a temperature range of 65 degrees Fahrenheit to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Rainfall should be plentiful and the weather should switch between heavy rainfall and sunshine to bring the berries to full maturity. The type of soil is not too important but good drainage is a must! Coffee plants are fairly easy to grow in the home as a potted specimen, but they should be moved outdoors for the summer if possible. They grow best in filtered sunlight, with night temperatures in the lower to mid 60s and day temperatures of 70F or higher. Plant them in any good commercial, fast draining potting soil . The soil should be kept on the moist side, but never soggy.Coffee tree plants will produce fruit without any fertilizing whatsoever, but for best results and maximum yield, they should be fed every 2 weeks from March to October, and then monthly from November through February. Use a soluble, all purpose (10-10-10) fertilizer Coffee bean plants are easily propagated from seeds. You can find seeds for coffee and other rare and unusual plants online from The Whatcom Seed Company Coffee trees will grow to about 10 feet if given ample root room, but can be pruned if this is too big for the allotted space. Pruning may involve simple pinching to produce a bushier plant, or you may go as far as cutting it way back.... Right down to where only two branches are left near the bottom of the trunk.
The amount and size of beans, as well as your altitude will make a difference in the roasting process, so this is a 'live and learn process. The beans should be placed in some form of perforated container, such as a steel strainer or vegetable steamer. Place them in a pre-heated, 250 degree F. oven for about seven minutes. Then increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees. In about ten minutes the beans should begin to crackle. (This timing will depend on the temperature, heat capacity of the oven, and the beans; so keep an eye on them.) When the beans start crackling, mix them up, to promote an even roast. Check their color every two minutes until they have achieved a color slightly lighter than the end color which you desire. (As the beans cool, they will continue roasting).When they have completely cooled, store them in an air tight container in the refrigerator.Once you have harvested sufficient beans to brew your first pot of 'home grown' coffee, you will have to roast them. There are many 'home type' roasters available on the market, which do an excellent job of evenly roasting your beans. Whether you are willing to go to the expense of purchasing one of these is up to you. It is possible to roast your own beans in the oven. This method will tend to smoke up the house a bit, and the smell of the burned off chaff will tend to linger in the house for quite some time.
The amount and size of beans, as well as your altitude will make a difference in the roasting process, so this is a 'live and learn process. The beans should be placed in some form of perforated container, such as a steel strainer or vegetable steamer. Place them in a pre-heated, 250 degree F. oven for about seven minutes. Then increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees. In about ten minutes the beans should begin to crackle. (This timing will depend on the temperature, heat capacity of the oven, and the beans; so keep an eye on them.) When the beans start crackling, mix them up, to promote an even roast. Check their color every two minutes until they have achieved a color slightly lighter than the end color which you desire. (As the beans cool, they will continue roasting).Coffee trees will grow to about 10 feet if given ample root room, but can be pruned if this is too big for the allotted space. Pruning may involve simple pinching to produce a bushier plant, or you may go as far as cutting it way back.... Right down to where only two branches are left near the bottom of the trunk.
The fruit are red when they ripen in the fall, with a sweet pulp surrounding the bean. Each coffee berry produces two beans. The coffee tree's fruit does not all ripen at one time. In fact it will have blossoms and berries in various stages of ripening. Only the ripe berries can be picked. The berries cannot be picked when green since they will not ripen once picked
The coffee tree is a shrub with a straight trunk, which can survive for about 50 to 70 years. The first flowers appear during the third year, but production is only profitable from the fifth year onwards. 18th century botanists classified Coffee as a member of the Rubiaceous family. Of around sixty different species of coffee tree, two alone dominate world trade - the Coffea arabica, or, more simply, Arabica, which represents 75% of production; and the Coffea canephora, which is commonly known by the name of the most widespread variety: RobustaThe flowers are white with 5 or 6 petals. The pistil that emerges from the cupule is tipped with delicate stigmas. The shape and scent resemble those of jasmine, and it is for this reason that the coffee tree was called "Arabian Jasmine" in the 17th century. The flowers form glomerules, or little tufts made up of 8 to 15 elements, at the base of the leaves. They produce the same number of berries, commonly known as cherries because of their colour. The flowers last only a few hours and wilt as soon as fertilisation has taken place: however, others quickly replace them. As a result, it is not uncommon to find leaves, flowers and berries on the tree at the same time! One tree can produce over 30,000 flowers in a year.
The coffee tree is an evergreen with spear-shaped leaves, which are green and shiny on the upper side. As with all Rubiaceous plants, the leaves grow in pairs on either side of the stem and they are stipulated - that is to say, the two foliaceous organs are to be found at the base of the leaf stalk. The leaves of the Robusta trees are much larger than those of the Arabica.Coffea is a genus of flowering plants in the Rubiaceae family. They are shrubs or small trees native to tropical and southern Africa and tropical Asia. Seeds of several species are the source of the popular beverage coffee. Coffee ranks as one of the world's most valuable and widely traded commodity crops and is an important export product of several countries. The leaves and the outer part of the fruit are also sometimes eaten.There are several species of Coffea that may be grown for the beans. The trees produce red or purple fruits called "cherries" that are drupes. The cherries contain two seeds, the so-called "coffee beans", which — despite their name — are not true beans. In about 5-10% of any crop of coffee cherries, there is only a single bean, rather than the two usually found. This is called apeaberry, which is smaller and rounder than a normal coffee bean. It is often removed from the yield and either sold separately, (as in New Guinea peaberry) or discarded.
When grown in the tropics, coffee is a vigorous bush or small tree that usually grows to a height of 3–3.5 m (10–12 feet). Most commonly cultivated coffee species grow best at high elevations but are nevertheless intolerant of subfreezing temperaturesThe tree of Coffea arabica will grow fruits after three to five years, and will produce for about 50 to 60 years (although up to 100 years is possible). The white flowers are highly scented. The fruit takes about nine months to ripen.The caffeine in coffee "beans" is a natural plant defense against herbivory i.e. a toxic substance that protects the seeds of the plant.Several insect pests affect coffee production, including the coffee borer beetle (Hypothenemus hampei)( and the coffee leafminer (Leucoptera caffeine)( Coffee is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera(butterfly and moth) species, including napoleon jacutin (Dalcera abrasa), tumip moth and some members of the genus Endoclita, including E. damor and E. malabaricus.In 2008 and 2009, researchers from the Royal Botanic Garden Kew named seven species of Coffea from the mountains of northern Madagascar, including C. ambongensis, C. boinensis, C. labatii, C. pterocarpa, C. bissetiae, and C. namorokensisIn 2008, two new species of coffee plants have been discovered in Cameroon Coffea charrieriana, which is caffeine-free, and Coffee anthonviBy crossing the new species with other known coffees, two new features might be introduced to cultivated coffee plants: beans without caffeine and self pollination
Indian coffee planters and exporters are brewing profits like never before due to soaring prices and growing consumption of the aromatic beverage worldwide.Riding on surging commodity rates globally, producers of the green bean, mainly from Karnataka, and exporters are making a killing as prices in international and domestic auctions rule at historic highs on growing demand despite competition from traditional and new players."Indian coffee growers and exporters are on cloud nine as their Arabica and Robusta bean varieties have regained ground and are competing with the best in the world for better prices on growing demand," a representative of the planters' body said.
A decade after cyclical highs and lows and lifting of quotas under the World Trade Organization (WTO) regime, the Indian coffee sector is at the cusp of a new era as the latest trends indicate an upward bias in global demand and prices this year too."The Indian coffee sector's export performance last fiscal (2010-11) was outstanding on all counts -- quantity exported, value realisation and unit value," D. Hegde, incoming president of the United Planters' Association of Southern India (Upasi), said on the margins of its 118th annual meet here, about 70 km from the industrial city of Coimbatore in the plains.Though production for the coffee year 2010-11 was a tad lower at 302,000 tonnes than the estimated 308,000 tonnes - but 4.3 percent higher than 289,600 tonnes in the previous year (2009-10) - export quantity zoomed to 319,892 tonnes, posting a whopping 63 percent (123,793 tonnes) increase from 196,099 tonnes in the previous year and helping producers to reduce inventory stocks.Similarly, for seven months from April to mid-October this year, exports were up 20 percent to 201,570 tonnes from 167,624 tonnes in 2010.
The phenomenal increase in export volumes turned into a boom as value shot up by an unprecedented 80 percent to Rs.3,724 crore in 2010-11 from Rs.2,072 crore, an increase of Rs.1,652 crore year-on-year (YoY) as a result of unit value going up 10 percent to Rs.116 per kg from Rs.106/kg in the corresponding period.In the first seven months (April-October) this fiscal year, export value zoomed to Rs.2,738 crore from Rs.1,681 crore."The astonishing increase in export quantity and value augurs well for further consolidation of gains, as prices of other milds (Arabica) are more than double that of Robustas in the auctions conducted by the International Coffee Organisation (ICO)," Hegde asserted.The upward trend in price of other milds continued to touch 280 cents per pound (lb) during January-September 2011 from 184 cents/lb in 2010, an increase of 53 percent YoY, while that of Robusta rose to 114 cents in the same period from 80 cents in 2010, up 42 percent YoY.
Prices in the domestic auctions conducted by the Indian Coffee Trade Association (ICTA) reflected a similar trend during the first eight months (Jan-Aug) of 2011, with Arabica Cherry beans sold at Rs.199 per kg as against Rs.121 per kg in 2010 and Robusta Cherry at Rs.111 per kg as against Rs.77 in 2010.With the state-run Coffee Board estimating post-blossom production to be 322,250 tonnes, including 217,725 tonnes of Robustas and 104,525 tonnes of Arabica varieties, the prospect of demand for Indian beans is brighter as consumption in traditional and emerging markets are encouraging.A steady rise in domestic consumption (108,000 tonnes) notwithstanding, exports constitute over 70 percent of the coffee produced in the country, mostly (98 percent) from southern India, with Karnataka accounting for 71 percent (213,780 tonnes), followed by Kerala at 22 percent (65,650 tonnes) and Tamil Nadu 5.5 percent (16,650 tonnes).
In value too, of the Rs.4,041 crore revenue generated in 2010-11, Karnataka generated Rs.3,018 crore (73 percent), Kerala Rs.693 crore (17 percent) and Tamil Nadu Rs.305 crore (7.4 percent) from exports and domestic sales.The aromatic beans are grown in the cooler climes of the bio-diverse Western Ghats (mountain region) that straddles across the three southern states.
Prof. John Kurakar
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