Arabica varieties
Sln 795, Sln 7, Sln 9, Sln 10, Cauvery and its selections HRC (Hawaian Red Cuturra), Chandragiri and San Ramon
Robusta varieties
Sln 274, Sln 270, Sln 3.
Soil should be deep, friable, open textured rich in plant nutrients with plenty of humus and of slightly acidic nature (pH – 4.5 to 6.5)
Varieties Elevation (m) Rainfall (mm) Distribution
Robusta 500 – 1000 1000 – 2000 Blossom shower – February – March
Arabica 1000 – 1500 1600 – 2500 Blossom shower – March – April
Backing shower during April – May is required for both the varieties
By seeds.
June – September.
Arabica coffee: 1.5 to 2.0 m either way.
Dwarf varieties: San Ramon: 1 x 1 m.
Robusta coffee: 2.5 m either way.
Species
Pre-blossom Post-blossom Midmonsoon Postmonsoon
March
N:P2O5:K2O
(kg/ha)
Post –
blossom
May
N:P2O5:K2O
(kg/ha)
Midmonsoon
August
N:P2O5:K2O
(kg/ha)
Postmonsoon
October
N:P2O5:K2O
(kg/ha)
Total
(kg/ha)
ARABICA
Young coffee 1st
year
After planting
15:10:15 15:10:15 — 15:10:15 45:30:45
2
nd and 3rd year 20:10:20 20:10:20 — 20:15:20 60:45:60
4
th year 30:20:30 20:20:20 — 30:20:30 80:60:80
Bearing coffee 5
years and and
above for less than
one tonne/ha crop
40:30:40 40:30:40 40:30:40 140:90:120
For one tonne/ha
and above
40:30:40 40:30:40 40:30:40 40:30:40 160:120:160
ROBUSTA
For less than one tonne/ ha crop 40:30:40 — — 40:30:40 80:60:80
For 1 tonne /ha and
above
40:30:40 40:30:40 — 40:30:40 120:90:120
Centering and desuckering should be carried out for 5-6 years after planting.Done immediately after the harvest (June-July and September – October) and till the onset of monsoon. Unproductive wood between all primaries, secondaries and tertiaries should be removed.
Rejuvenation / collar Pruning
Removal of dead, exhausted, dried and worn out branches. Done immediately after the harvest.
Hard pruning
Plants are cut at 5-20 cm above the ground level and one leader shoot is allowed.
Medium Pruning
Removal of lateral shoots to regulate shade.
Light pruning
Removal of Suckers.
Pests
White stem borer
Attacks arabica coffee grown under inadequate shade.
Maintain/create optimum shade
Borer infested plants should be thoroughly traced, uprooted during March and September, burnt to avoid economic loss during the subsequent years.
Install pheromone traps @ 25 /ha, if the incidence is high.
Remove the loose scaly bark on the main stem and thick primaries using coir glove or coconut husk.
Pad with chlorpyriphos 25% EC @ 5 ml by making a window in the stem at 5 cm x 5
cm and fill it with absorbant cotton dipped in insecticide solution and close it.
Berry borer
Carry out timely and thorough harvest.
Avoid gleanings as far as possible.
Pick up and destroy the gleanings.
Meticulously remove the leftover berries.
Remove offseason berries to save main crop.
Avoid excessive shade.
Prune plants properly to facilitate better ventilation and illumination.
While processing at the estate level, dry coffee berries to the prescribed moisture level :
Arabica / robusta parchment 10 %, Arabica cherry 10.5 % and robusta cherry 11.0 %.
Shot hole borer beetle
Attacks branches and suckers of robusta coffee. This pest thrives under heavy shade
and can be controlled by pruning the branches
Green scales and mealy bugs:
Release coccinellid predator Cryptolaemus montrouzieri @ 300 beetles/acre.
Spray Lecanicillium lecanii @ 6 x 106 spores/ml or spray any one of the following insecticide:
Insecticide Dose
Oxydemeton –Methyl 25 % EC 2.5 ml/lit.
Quinalphos 25 % EC 2.5 ml/lit.
Leaf miner
Spray Oxydemeton –Methyl 25 % EC @ 2.5 ml/lit
Rust
Spray 0.5 % bordeaux mixture in February – March (Pre-bloom) followed by 0.03 % oxycarboxin in May – June (Pre-monsoon).
Repeat in July – August (mid-monsoon) and September – October (Post-monsoon) with any one of the above fungicides or
Spray 0.5 % bordeaux mixture during the month of June followed by 0.02 % triadimefon during September and 0.5 % bordeaux mixture during the month of December
CIB recommendation
Spray tebuconazole 50% + trifloxystrobin 25% WG @ 300 g/ha or pyroclostrobin 133g/l+ epoxiconazole 50 g/l SE @ 750 ml/ha
Black rot or Koleroga
Centering and handling of the bushes should be done prior to the onset of South-West monsoon
Remove affected twigs
Spray 1% bordeaux mixture during break in monsoon
CIB recommendation
Spray tebuconazole 50 % + trifloxystrobin 25 % WG @ 300 g/ha
Collar rot
Treat the seeds with carbendazim @ 1 g/kg or carboxin @ 0.7 g/kg
Maintain filtered shade in nursery
Drench nursery beds with mancozeb or captan 0.5 g/l before sowing
Brown eye spot
Spray mancozeb @ 2 g/l or carbendazim @ 0.5 g/l durinf September month
Black root rot
Dig out and burn infected bushes
Dig a trench 30 cm deep around affected spot along with a ring of healthy bushes
Prune the healthy bushes within and outside the trench to allow sunlight
Keep the trench free from fallen leaves
Do not replant for 18 months
Dry parchment 750 – 1000 kg/ha.
Growing Districts Dindigul, Nilgiris, Salem and Theni
Major markets in Tamil Nadu Coonoor, Bodinayakanur, Mettupalayam
Types Arabica, Robusta
Grade specification Washed, Unwashed, Monsooned, Instant, Ground, Roasted, Speciality