{"id":7131,"date":"2023-08-05T15:18:49","date_gmt":"2023-08-05T08:18:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/olphs.net\/?p=7131"},"modified":"2024-05-17T13:54:08","modified_gmt":"2024-05-17T06:54:08","slug":"history-and-biodiversity-of-robusta","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/olphs.net\/history-and-biodiversity-of-robusta\/","title":{"rendered":"History and Biodiversity of Robusta"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cof\u00adfee is one of the most impor\u00adtant cash crops in the world, gen\u00ader\u00adat\u00ading sig\u00adnif\u00adi\u00adcant for\u00adeign exchange and sup\u00adport\u00ading the liveli\u00adhoods of mil\u00adlions of peo\u00adple glob\u00adal\u00adly. Over the last\u00a030<\/span>\u00a0years, demand for cof\u00adfee has grown steadi\u00adly, lead\u00ading to an expan\u00adsion in pro\u00adduc\u00adtion and exports.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are\u00a0131<\/span>\u00a0species in the\u00a0Cof\u00adfea<\/em> genus known to sci\u00adence, with two that are cul\u00adti\u00advat\u00aded wide\u00adly and on a\u00a0glob\u00adal scale \u2014Cof\u00adfea ara\u00adbi\u00adca<\/em>\u00a0(com\u00admer\u00adcial\u00adly known as ara\u00adbi\u00adca) and\u00a0Cof\u00adfea canepho\u00adra\u00a0<\/em>(com\u00admer\u00adcial\u00adly known as Robusta). Through\u00adout this essay and the cat\u00ada\u00adlog gen\u00ader\u00adal\u00adly, we use this term \u200b\u201c<\/span>Robusta\u201d to refer to the entire C. canepho\u00adra<\/em>\u00a0species and all its subtypes.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Our coffee is facing risks due to climate change, low productivity, diseases, and limited access to good seed sources for farmers. As a consequence, the livelihoods of coffee farmers are also being affected. | Photo: WCR<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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Until recent\u00adly, ara\u00adbi\u00adca held reign over most of the cof\u00adfee mar\u00adket due to pref\u00ader\u00adences for its cup qual\u00adi\u00adty, but var\u00adi\u00adous fac\u00adtors, includ\u00ading the increas\u00ading demand for cof\u00adfee, have led to expan\u00adsions in the pro\u00adduc\u00adtion of Robusta, as the species requires less strin\u00adgent grow\u00ading con\u00addi\u00adtions and pos\u00adsess\u00ades a cer\u00adtain lev\u00adel of resis\u00adtance to pests and dis\u00adeases that often plague farm pro\u00adduc\u00adtiv\u00adi\u00adty. Robus\u00adta pro\u00adduc\u00adtion expand\u00aded rapid\u00adly after the emer\u00adgence of sol\u00adu\u00adble cof\u00adfee in the\u00a01950<\/span>s.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Currently, approximately 60% of the world’s coffee production and sales come from Arabica coffee plants, while 40% is from Robusta coffee plants.<\/strong><\/p>\n

(Source: ICO, 2021)<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The top glob\u00adal pro\u00adduc\u00aders of Robusta are cur\u00adrent\u00adly Viet\u00adnam, Brazil, Indone\u00adsia, Ugan\u00adda, and India, which togeth\u00ader pro\u00adduce over 90<\/span>% of the world\u2019s Robusta. Of these pro\u00adduc\u00aders, Viet\u00adnam and Ugan\u00adda are the fore\u00admost exporters of Robusta (Brazil, for exam\u00adple, retains a sub\u00adstan\u00adtial por\u00adtion of its pro\u00adduc\u00adtion for inter\u00adnal con\u00adsump\u00adtion). How\u00adev\u00ader, an increas\u00ading num\u00adber of coun\u00adtries that cur\u00adrent\u00adly restrict or have pre\u00advi\u00adous\u00adly restrict\u00aded cof\u00adfee pro\u00adduc\u00adtion to ara\u00adbi\u00adca are begin\u00adning to explore Robusta; these include Mex\u00adi\u00adco, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Colom\u00adbia, among oth\u00aders. Addi\u00adtion\u00adal\u00adly, there is grow\u00ading inter\u00adest in explor\u00ading the poten\u00adtial of increas\u00ading the cup qual\u00adi\u00adty of Robusta.<\/span><\/p>\n

About Robus\u00adta<\/h3>\n

The inter\u00adest in pro\u00adduc\u00ading Robus\u00adta at a glob\u00adal lev\u00adel resides in the fact that it can be grown in a wider range of cli\u00admates and alti\u00adtudes com\u00adpared to ara\u00adbi\u00adca, which requires pre\u00adcise con\u00addi\u00adtions in order to thrive, like heavy shade and high alti\u00adtudes. In con\u00adtrast to ara\u00adbi\u00adca, Robusta plants typ\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly have a greater crop yield, con\u00adtain high\u00ader lev\u00adels of caf\u00adfeine, low\u00ader lev\u00adels of sug\u00adar, high\u00ader lev\u00adels of sol\u00adu\u00adble solids, and are less sus\u00adcep\u00adti\u00adble to dam\u00adag\u00ading pests and dis\u00adeases. Fur\u00adther, Robusta can be grown in hot\u00adter, more humid tem\u00adper\u00ada\u00adture ranges, found in low\u00ader alti\u00adtudes between 200<\/span>\u2009\u2013\u2009800<\/span> meters, and often requires less main\u00adte\u00adnance via her\u00adbi\u00adcide and pes\u00adti\u00adcide.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite these attrib\u00adut\u00ades, Robusta is still sen\u00adsi\u00adtive to envi\u00adron\u00admen\u00adtal dis\u00adtur\u00adbances. Research sug\u00adgests that Robusta\u2019s abil\u00adi\u00adty to thrive in hot\u00adter cli\u00admates may be over\u00adstat\u00aded and that tem\u00adper\u00ada\u00adtures over 20<\/span>.5<\/span> degrees centi\u00adgrade can have a sig\u00adnif\u00adi\u00adcant neg\u00ada\u00adtive impact on yields Kath. Addi\u00adtion\u00adal\u00adly, many Robusta vari\u00adeties are still sus\u00adcep\u00adti\u00adble to key dis\u00adeases and pests, such as cof\u00adfee leaf rust, stem bor\u00ader, cof\u00adfee berry dis\u00adease, cof\u00adfee berry bor\u00ader, and nema\u00adtodes, among oth\u00aders.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Robusta coffee is often easier to cultivate, leading to higher yields and greater efficiency compared to Arabica coffee. Climate forecasts for the year 2050, provided by the World Coffee Research organization, indicate that rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns could make Arabica coffee cultivation unsustainable in the coming years, potentially leading to a significant increase in Robusta coffee production. However, Robusta coffee also faces its own limitations and vulnerabilities due to its climate.<\/span><\/p>\n

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How\u00adev\u00ader, the beans that come from Robusta pro\u00adduc\u00adtion gen\u00ader\u00adate dif\u00adfer\u00adences in terms of taste and cup qual\u00adi\u00adty. For instance, cof\u00adfee brewed from Robusta beans is often low\u00ader in acid\u00adi\u00adty, high\u00ader in bit\u00adter\u00adness, and more \u200b\u201c<\/span>full-bod\u00adied\u201d due to its pyrazine con\u00adtent, an aro\u00admat\u00adic known for its earth\u00adi\u00adness. But when han\u00addled and processed prop\u00ader\u00adly, Robus\u00adta can serve as a prod\u00aduct for spe\u00adcial\u00adty mar\u00adkets.<\/span><\/p>\n

Robus\u00adta Diversity<\/h3>\n

Many dif\u00adfer\u00adent com\u00admon terms are used to describe Robusta in the areas where it is grown. These include \u200b\u201c<\/span>Robusta,\u201d \u200b\u201c<\/span>conilon,\u201d\u00a0\u200b\u201c<\/span>ngan\u00adda,\u201d\u00a0\u200b\u201c<\/span>koillou\/\u200bquillou,\u201d and oth\u00aders. These terms are gen\u00ader\u00adal\u00adly region\u00adal, col\u00adlo\u00adqui\u00adal, and do not nec\u00ades\u00adsar\u00adi\u00adly cor\u00adre\u00adspond to spe\u00adcif\u00adic genet\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly dis\u00adtinct varieties\/\u200bclones that have been devel\u00adoped and released by breed\u00aders over the years.<\/span><\/p>\n

Because Robusta is a cross-pollination crop – a single Robusta plant cannot efficiently pollinate its own flowers (unlike Arabica coffee, which can do so); scientists call this “Allogamous.” Therefore, individuals planted on the same farm often cross-pollinate with each other. The consequence of this pollination system is that a significant portion of Robusta coffee is produced from populations that are not selectively bred, as they are derived from freely pollinated seeds.<\/span><\/p>\n

In simple terms, Robusta coffee plantations are genetically heterogeneous; therefore, many farmers growing Robusta coffee often have little awareness of the specific variety or subspecies they are cultivating. This is why C. canephora is commonly referred to simply as “Robusta” in the commercial context, starting around 1900.<\/span><\/p>\n

As Robusta coffee is a cross-pollination species (meaning it requires pollen from two different plants to create new fruit), farmers need to plant more than one type of Robusta coffee on their farm to achieve efficient yields. Some breeding programs have been developed to create “multi-line varieties,” aimed at purposefully blending genetically diverse inbred lines.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"The coffee variety named TRS1, created by the Western Highlands Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute in 2015, is a typical example of a multi-line grafting variety.<\/em><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In different coffee-producing regions, these mixed varieties are distributed to farmers in various ways. For example, in West Africa, breeders often create multi-line varieties (meaning different Robusta coffee types are distributed together in the same seed package for farmers). In Brazil, breeders typically produce multiple individual inbred lines and then test their compatibility; the inbred lines with the highest productivity are then propagated and supplied to farmers.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, not all Robusta varieties can cross-pollinate with each other \u2013 their cross-compatibility is genetically controlled. Some varieties cannot fertilize each other. Until now, research on the optimal combination of subspecies in production remains scarce, but one crucial factor to consider is synchronous flowering<\/span>.<\/p>\n

The genetic diversity of Robusta coffee is much larger compared to Arabica coffee. There are many unknown variants (including characteristics related to coffee quality) within the genetic pool of Robusta coffee. Overall, these hidden variants have not been explored by breeders.<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to WCR (World Coffee Research),<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

His\u00adto\u00adry of cul\u00adti\u00adva\u00adtion\u00a0&<\/span>\u00a0dispersal<\/h3>\n

The cultivation of this species began around 1870 in Congo, with the seed source taken from the Lomami River region of what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A subspecies of Robusta, known as “kouillou” (later renamed “conilon” due to linguistic changes upon importation to Brazil), was discovered in the wild by the French in 1880, mainly along the Kouilou-Nari River area between Gabon and the mouth of the Congo River. This species was named Coffea canephora by the botanist Louis Pierre in 1895.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pierre (full name Jean Baptiste Louis Pierre) was a renowned French botanist known for his studies in Asia (he was in charge of the Saigon Zoological Garden from 1865 to 1877). During his time at the French National Museum of Natural History, he received a plant sample collected by Reverend Th\u00e9ophile Klaine in Gabon and named it Coffea canephora. This name was first published along with a species description by Wilhelm Froehner, a historian, in 1897.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 1898, Edouard Luja, a biologist, researcher, and explorer, was sent to collect 10 economically potential species in Congo in preparation for the Paris 1900 Exhibition. During this mission, Edouard Luja collected several thousand seeds of a “new” coffee species in the Lusambo area (now part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo). These seeds might have been collected from an early Robusta coffee plantation in the region. The Democratic Republic of the Congo became one of the main distribution centers, from which coffee varieties spread throughout tropical regions.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the early 20th century, this species began to spread to other parts of the world. Robusta seeds from Congo were sent to Brussels, Belgium (during its colonial period), and from there, they were sent to Java, Indonesia, where it was quickly embraced by farmers due to its high yields and resistance to coffee leaf rust, which had caused a major outbreak in Southeast Asia in the late 1800s. From this original variety, the name “Robusta” was later supplemented with new genetic sources from Gabon and Uganda. During the same period, other Robusta coffee types were selected from wild coffee populations and introduced to regions in Ivory Coast, Guinea, and Uganda.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"One of the significant benefits of Robusta coffee production is that this species has a natural resistance to some major pests and diseases affecting coffee production. It can thrive in harsh conditions. | Photo: WCR<\/em><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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From there, Robusta coffee continued its global expansion, initially reaching India through seeds from Java, Indonesia, and later being imported from West Africa. Selected Robusta coffee plants from Java were reintroduced to Central Africa starting in 1910 and reached the Belgian Congo in 1916, where the National Agricultural Research Institute of Congo (INEAC) played a crucial role in breeding programs’ development from 1930 to 1960. In Africa, Robusta coffee production expanded to Madagascar, Uganda, Ghana, and Ivory Coast, often blending native variants with variants introduced from commercial production in other regions of the continent. The significant driver behind the dissemination of Robusta coffee during this period was the spread of coffee leaf rust disease.<\/span><\/p>\n

Robusta coffee plants were subsequently imported into Latin America, particularly Brazil, and Central America through Guatemala between 1930 and 1935. Moreover, the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) in Costa Rica introduced Robusta coffee known as “French lines” around 1981-1983.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, countries in Asia and the Pacific are the largest producers of Robusta coffee, accounting for 60% of the world’s production at approximately 41.5 million 60 kg bags per year. Following this region is South America, contributing 28% of the world’s Robusta coffee market share, producing around 19.8 million bags in the 2020-2021 crop year.<\/strong><\/p>\n

ICO, 2022<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Genet\u00adic diver\u00adsi\u00adty and conservation<\/h3>\n

C. canephora is a diploid species (2n = 2x = 22) divided into two major genetic groups, Guinean and Congo. The Guinean group originates from West Central Africa, while the Congo group originates from Central Africa. Among these two groups, the Guinean group is the most widespread. Additionally, within each group, there are different populations or subgroups. In the Guinean group, there are at least two subgroups named “kouilou” or “conilon” and “robusta”. However, recent studies using advanced genetic techniques have further classified the C. canephora coffee species into 5 genetic groups (A, B, C, D, and E).<\/span><\/p>\n

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Robusta is commonly divided into two major genetic groups: the Congo group and the Guinean group; each group is distinguished by differences in growth morphology and adaptation to different ecological conditions.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Robusta is commonly divided into two major genetic groups: the Congo group and the Guinean group; each group is distinguished by differences in growth morphology and adaptation to different ecological conditions.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Geographically, genetic group A includes wild populations from Congo and Cameroon; group B from East-Central Africa; group C from West-Central Africa, Cameroon, and northeastern Congo; group E from Congo and southern Cameroon; while group D consists of wild populations from C\u00f4te d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) and Guinea. Additionally, some wild populations in Uganda form a separate group (group O). Finally, in 2019, some authors described the genetic diversity of C. canephora with eight distinct genetic groups, with the addition of a group from Uganda (group O), a group from southern Democratic Republic of Congo (Group R), and a group from Angola (group G), with weaker differentiation between groups E and R.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reference:<\/strong> This article is compiled based on content provided by the World Coffee Research organization. You can find the original article at: History of Robusta.<\/span><\/p>\n