Cenicafé 1, the new coffee variety developed in Colombia
Its low height will enable high densities. The cup quality is described as very good and it classifies as specialty coffee. According to a cupping panel, it features cocoa, honey and hazelnut notes.
After 20 years of research and seeking to increase coffee producers’ income, the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC) has just released a new coffee variety, Cenicafé 1, developed by its National Coffee Research Center (Cenicafé).
This new variety features short stature, high productivity, high adaptability to Colombia´s coffee regions, and resistance to rust and the Coffee Berry Disease (CBD).
Its size and architecture, similar to those of the Caturra and Colombia varieties, will enable high crop densities (up to 7,000–10,000 plants per hectare) depending on each region’s conditions. Higher densities are crucial for achieving higher productivity, which in turn is essential for higher profitability of coffee farmers.
The release of this new coffee variety was announced by the FNC Chief Technical Officer, Hernando Duque, within the framework of the 83rd National Congress of Coffee Growers, their highest authority and deliberative instance, which took place in Bogota from November 30 to December 2.
Cenicafé 1 is the result of a rigorous selection of 8 advanced progenies of 116 originally selected by Cenicafé’s Breeding Program, coming from a crossing between Caturra and Timor Hybrid 1343.
“Cenicafé 1, which is recommended to all of Colombia´s coffee regions, enjoys excellent agronomic attributes, excellent cup quality, and a greater proportion of Supremo beans than current varieties. However, it’s essential to adopt optimal agronomic practices for the crop to yield high profitability,” Duque said.
As it has occurred with previous varieties, such as Castillo and Colombia, the delivery of seeds to producers will be gradual, starting next year, to meet their needs little by little and those of strategic plans to replace coffee plantations with resistant varieties.
Description of Cenicafé 1
Height: At 24 months, it features an average height of 140.1 cm, ranging between 138.7 and 141.5 cm, similar to that of the Caturra variety.
Production: Average production of 17.6 kg of coffee cherries per tree per cycle of four crops, similar to production obtained with general Castillo variety.
Physical quality (bean): 84.3% average of Supremo beans, ranging from 83.7% to 85%, higher than the average for Caturra (54.1%) and Castillo varieties (79.3%).
Cup quality: Described as very good and classified as specialty coffee.
Cupping notes: According to the cupping panel of the Caldas Departmental Coffee Growers Committee, Cenicafé 1 has of cocoa, honey and hazelnut notes.
Agronomic management: Cenicafé 1 requires adequate agronomic practices at its different development stages to guarantee a stable production system, in order to last at least 20 years. Planting planning is important according to recommendations for the different coffee regions, as well as density, which in sun-grown production systems can reach up to 10,000 plants/ha, and in agroforestry systems, between 5,000 and 7,000 plants/ha for production cycles of four to five crops.