A study case on coffee (Coffea arabica): Limu Coffe - IRD

Step 1: Collection of different coffee variety seeds, both international and national.
Collection from abroad takes into a consideration the importing of well known Arabica
varieties from coffee producing countries, for different purposes such as crossing with
indigenous varieties. National coffee collection consists of the collection of different coffee
cultivars from various coffee growing areas. This is the exploration of coffee population at a
specific area and a detailed observation on different types of available coffee to distinguish
one type from the other by: growth habit, leaf shape & size & colour, fruit shape & size &
ripe colour & maturity state, beans shape & size, internode length, leaf retention during heavy
cropping, and disease and insect freeness where there is an infestation of the disease and
insect. The collection sheet comprises collection date and number, altitude, region, district,
subdistrict, specific location, habitat and farm owner.
Step 2: Evaluation consisting on close investigation on the productivity, quality,
resistance to different diseases and insects pests, and adaptability of the collected coffee
seeds.
Step 3: Primary selection dealing with the selection of best performing coffees based
on the undertaken investigation. At this step those cultivars which have been introduced from
abroad and adapted to the evaluation site can serve as a comparison.
Step 4: Verification. Different regions have different sets of environmental factors. A
cultivar which will do well at a locality may perform better or worse at the other one. This
step consists on planting and investigating on those desirable characteristics at various areas
of the producing regions to identify where does the cultivar perform the best.
Step 5: Second selection. This step aims at the selection of a cultivar which has
fulfilled the first selection criteria and that has been proved best of the others in all required
parameters at a particular environment.
Step 6: Seed multiplication and distribution. Selected seeds are multiplied in a large
quantity then distributed to coffee producers through the woreda agriculture and rural
development offices (local ministry branches).
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