EmbrapaArabica coffee planted successfully in Acre and RondôniaEmbrapa
Coffea arabica, a variety of Arabica coffee that is adapted to heat and low altitudes, was planted in Amazonia and performed well during first harvest. Developed by researchers from the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation in Rondônia (Embrapa Rondônia), the Campinas Institute of Agronomy (IAC) in São Paulo, and the Minas Gerais Agricultural Research Corporation (Epamig), the new variety produced more than 30 bags per hectare in Rondônia and Acre, compared to the Brazilian national average of 22. Native to Ethiopia and considered the most flavorful coffee bean, Arabica is normally grown at higher altitudes. The states of Minas Gerais and São Paulo are Brazil’s biggest producers. In northern Brazil, many families make their living by planting Robusta coffee (Coffea canephora), but demand for Arabica is on the rise. Since 2005, researchers have been working on the traditional genetic improvement of C. arabica, evaluating and selecting genotypes favorable to growth in places with lower altitudes and higher temperatures, like Amazonia. “We are minimizing the effects of high temperatures and boosting productivity,” says project coordinator Alexsandro Teixeira, an agronomist with Embrapa Rondônia.
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