Next Steps

Checklist of considerations and good practices for variety selection and planting

CafeClima helps you to select coffee varieties that are more likely to thrive under future climate conditions, based on data from trial sites with comparable climates to your selected location. The integration of climate modeling with variety performance data supports informed variety selection, but there are many factors to consider when deciding the right variety:

The output from CafeClima is only a first indication of which varieties could be considered for variety choice. Make sure to follow these general advice on good practice for variety selection and planting:

Variety selection

  • Before making a decision about which varieties to plant, consider unique factors to your location such as: Altitude, soil conditions, sun exposure, temperature, rain patterns, etc.
  • Also, consider the presence of diseases such as coffee leaf rust, coffee berry diseases, or coffee wilt disease in your area. If disease is present, strongly consider selecting disease-resistant varieties.
  • Consult local authorities and technical assistance programs for information on recommended varieties for your local area.
  • Choose your varieties according to the management plan that the farmer is able to implement (nutrition plan, disease control plans, shade management, etc.). Agronomic plans have a substantial effect on how a variety will perform!
  • Consider planting multiple varieties as a climate adaptation strategy. Different varieties may have varying tolerance to temperature fluctuations, drought, and other environmental stresses. Diversification can lead to more stable harvests in challenging climate conditions.

Obtaining plants

  • An important note: Some varieties should only be reproduced through clonal propagation and purchased from trusted nurseries. (Check the propagation information for each variety in the Variety Explorer.) Seeds taken from these plants will not have the same characteristics as the parent plants. This is called segregation. It means that the child plant will not look or behave the same as the parent, with potential losses of yield, disease resistance, quality, or other agronomic performance traits.
  • If nematodes are present, consider obtaining seedlings that have been grafted onto Robusta or other nematode-resistant rootstock.
  • Ask your seed or seedling provider for genetic traceability of the variety and always check the phytosanitary quality before buying seedlings - including the root system!
  • Be aware that local “varieties” are usually highly variable populations and you will likely not have the same characteristics in all the plants. These are typically named locally and only known for a specific community such as “Borbón enano”, “Geisha enano”, etc.
  • Check with reputable sources about availability of varieties in your area, such as national authorities or local technical assistance programs. (If you are in Latin America, see the list of Genetically Confirmed Seed Lots below.)

Planting

  • If you are unsure of how a specific variety will work for you, remember that you can always try with just a few trees and evaluate them for your preference.
  • Before planting a new variety make sure to follow all recommended Good Agricultural Practices, such as controlling soil pests, soil conservation and agroforestry. The correct implementation of these practices will ensure that the new variety reaches its full potential.
  • If you are planning to collect seed from your new plants eventually, make sure you follow the correct procedures for seed sources to avoid cross pollination between several varieties in your farm (see Good Practice Guide for Coffee Seed Producers below). And never collect seed from F1 hybrid plants.

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