Coffee

Introduction: Coffee was introduced to India in 1600 AD by a Muslim pilgrim, Baba Budan, who brought 7 Arabica seeds from Yemen and raised them at his hermitage on hills near Chickmagalur in Karnataka. It continued to be a backyard plant until Europeans during 18th century began growing it commercially. In late 1820, commercial plantations were established in Coorg, Nilgiris, Palani hills and Wynad. By 1869, Indian coffee established itself producing quality coffee in world trade.

Soil:

• For good growth, soil should be deep, well drained, slightly acidic & rich in organic matter
• Hilly & forest soils fulfill these requirements
• Unsuitable soils under favorable climate can also produce economically good crops under skilful management
• Coffee soils in India belong to red & lateritic groups
• Red ferruginous clays  occur in Karnataka & Nilgiris
• Coffee soils in India are generally low in P, K, Ca & Mg. Therefore it responds well to these nutrients
• Coffee soils in India are generally high in N, Fe & Al, pH 5.5-6.5 and ideal pH is 6-6.5
• Most coffee soils are subjected to frequent washing & run off

Climate: 

• Rainfall, temperature and elevation influence economic production more than soil factors
• Under SI conditions, high summer temperature combined with poor subsoil moisture can be a severe limiting factor; where as in Northern latitudes, cold winter temperature can be limiting.

Weed Control:

• New plantations: 3-4 weedings per year and in established plantations 2-3 times
• Monsoon time-weeds are slashed back (Slash weeding)
• Again after monsoon one more time (Clean weeding) weeding is done
• Herbicides: Dalapon 5 lbs for grasses + 2,4-D 1 lb for broad leaved weeds in 50 gallons of water per acre. Donot apply herbicide during harvest time
• Gramaxone 1.25 Ltr in 450 Ltr water per hectare

For control of fruit ripening:

• Hastening of fruit ripening in coffee could be achieved by spraying ethephon (Ethrel) on mature berries when 10% natural ripening is observed.
• By this, ripening can be hastened by 2-4 weeks and in two rounds about 96% ripe fruits could be harvested. Concentrations are as follows.
• Arabica: 100 to 120 ml per 200 litres of water per 400 plants
• Robusta: 40 to 54 ml per 200 litres of water per 267 plants

Crop Protection:

Berry borer management: Removal of off-season berries, timely and clean harvesting, prevention of gleanings using harvesting mats, collection and burning of affected gleanings and timely sprays of entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana will bring down the incidence of coffee berry borer well within the economic threshold levels. Cephalonoinia stephanodermis and Phymasticus coffeae are promising exotic parasitoids against this pest.

White stem borer management: White stem borer attack can be effectively checked through cultural measures like providing optimum shade, regular tracing, burning of affected parts and bark scrubbing to remove crevices on the main stem and thick primaries. If required, spraying neem oil based formulations on to the main stem may be taken up coinciding with the flight period of adult beetles. Since beetles lay eggs in crevices of main stem, stem swabs with Carbaryl 50 WP (4 kg in 200 1 of water) once or twice during April-May and October-December are recommended

Managing shot hole borer: Pruning affected branches below shot hole, burning them from September onwards and removal of suckers during summer

Mealy bug management: Affected plants should be pruned and sprayed with Quinalphos, Carbaryl or methyl parathion. Biological control agents like Cryotolaemus montronzieri (lady bird beetle) and parasitoid, (Leptomastix dactylopii) are quite effective. Indirect control can be achieved by controlling ants that spreads mealy bugs

Disease management:

Leaf rust management: Pre-blossom (February-March) spray of Bordeaux mixture (0.5 %), pre monsoon (May-June) spray of Plantavax 20 EC (0.03%), followed by mid July-August and post-monsoon (September-October) sprays of either of these fungicides can control this disease. Use of resistant/ tolerant varieties is also recommended.

Koleroga Management: Control measures include centering and handling of bushes prior to onset of monsoon and protecting endemic patches with Bordeaux mixture (1%). If incidence is observed during monsoon, remove affected twigs and burn them. Spray with Bordeaux mixture (1%) during break in monsoon.

Root rot Management: Root diseases (brown, red, black, and Santavery) can be contained by making a proper ring around the affected coffee bushes, uprooting and burning the affected bushes, application of 1-2 kg of lime to the uprooted pit. Exposing the spot to T. harzianum is recommended @ 2.5 kg per plant in May-June and August-September months.

Processing

Coffee is processed in two ways; Wet processing by which plantation or parchment coffee is prepared and Dry method by which cherry coffee is prepared.

• Parchment coffee is generally favored by the market
• Cherry coffee produces a fruity flavor
• Picking at right time is the key
• Pick as and when the fruits ripe for best quality
• Avoid under ripe & over ripe fruits
• It is difficult to pick as and when fruits ripe
• Sort under & over ripe fruits before processing

Steps in the preparation of parchment coffee

• Pulping
• Demucilaging and washing
• Fermentation
• Drying
• Curing
• Grading

Preparation of cherry coffee

• Ripe berries are spread out evenly to a thickness of about 8 cm on drying grounds, preferably tiled or concrete floors.
• It should be stirred and ridged at intervals.
• This has to be heaped and covered with plastic in evening and spread out in morning.
• Cherry is dry when a fistful of cherries produces a rattling sound when shaken.
• Also when samples record same weight on 2 consecutive weighing, drying is complete.
• Drying takes about 12-15 days.
• Optimum moisture content for safe storage is 10.5% in Arabica and 11.0% in Robusta.
• Cherry is bagged in clean gunnies.

Semi washed coffee

• Semi washed (removal of coffee fruit skin and dried as such without washing) coffee produces cup quality in between washed and unwashed coffee (Cherry coffee).
• Advantage of semi washed coffee is that, pollution due to pulping/washing can be eliminated but problem is that delivery of pulped fruits to drying yard and subsequent drying becomes difficult.
• Semi washed coffee also harbours more dust and fungal spores.

Curing:

• Curing is done in curing houses established by licensed curers.
• It refers to processes like hulling (removal of fruit wall and parchment)
• Grading and sorting (removal of discoloured beans and foreign matter).
• Classification of grades of Indian coffee is as PB, A, B, AB and C based on size of beans and percentage of imperfections.