The F1 Hybrid Coffee And The Advantages
Hybrid coffee has the opportunity to get higher scores in cup tests and has better disease resistance and yield in planting. But what kind of coffee are they? Why do we have to pay attention to it? Is it possible for hybrids to replace existing single varieties such as bourbon or tepika?
A Quick Browse Of Coffee Varieties
Before we look at hybrids, let's quickly see the varieties of coffee. There are about a hundred known varieties of coffee. However, in the general classification of coffee shops, only Arabica, Robusta, or two kinds of mixed coffee can be found.
Arabica is the most commonly used variety, known for its high-quality flavor and aroma, but at the same time, Arabica coffee trees have poor resistance to pests. On the other hand, Robusta has a strong ability to resist pests and diseases and has a high content of caffeine. However, the bitter taste is usually stronger than that of Arabica (although there are still some coffees that are called boutique Robusta that is circulated in the boutique coffee industry).
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At present, only Arabica dominates the boutique coffee factory, and this variety will be subdivided into many varieties, each with different flavor characteristics, disease resistance, yield, and suitable growth environment.
Coffee Varieties And Diversity
Arabica coffee lacks diversity, which is a problem.
Different varieties of species should increase genetic diversity. However, it actually has a worrying 98.8% genetic similarity. To illustrate this, compare rice with soybeans and other crops. The similarity is only 70-80%, which makes Arabica more vulnerable.
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If leaf rust affects a particular coffee variety, it is also likely to affect other similar varieties. Thus, many varieties that prevent coffee leaf rust are extensions of the katimo. These varieties are a mixture of the Arabica variety Katula and Timor, which is itself a mixture of Arabica and Robusta. Robusta increases disease resistance and diversity. However, this also means that buyers of boutique coffee may be hesitant about the quality of these varieties.
With the impact of global climate change, if there is no practical action to solve this problem, the variety of Arabica will slowly disappear.
Why Does Arabica Lack Diversity?
Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee genes, has the most extensive Arabica varieties. In fact, a few years ago, it was pointed out that more than 95% of coffee genes originated from Ethiopia.
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There are many varieties growing in the wild of Ethiopia. If you see that the coffee bag indicates Ethiopia native species, it may indicate that it is growing in the wild, or it is very low in artificial cultivation.
You will also find some cultivated species, such as the rose geisha, which is very popular in recent years. At first, it made a fortune in Ethiopia and was brought to Panama to carry forward.
However, most types of Arabica are no more than Tepika, Bourbon, and related extension varieties.
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Is Hybrids A Solution?
If the traditional Arabica varieties are not lucky to change in their natural state, they are also produced through manual cultivation (known as cultivation).
However, no matter whether these varieties are cultivated or not, their lack of genetic diversity and low disease resistance has always been a problem, so some people look to F1 hybrids. These are varieties that are propagated on a large scale in the laboratory. Researchers can span a wide variety of coffees to create the required quality and properties.
As for the planting of hybrid coffee, the results of hybrid coffee can be seen through asexual reproduction in a short time.
Hybrids are an effective way to improve quality, appearance, and yield. Hybrids can survive in areas that experience drought or frequent rainfall.
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F1 hybrids are generally stronger and healthier than those naturally bred. Although for natural varieties, it is not because they have the same level of diversity, so they have the same cold tolerance as F1 hybrids, this situation is also unlikely. William said that this enabled F1 hybrids to survive in harsh environmental conditions.
Is It Possible To Create The Most Perfect Coffee Variety Manually?
Talking about "creating" perfect varieties can be misleading: Researchers can't just imagine a breed and then create it. What can be done, however, is to develop new hybrids with the same characteristics.
William said that in their research institute CATIE, the purpose of their research is to expand the genetic basis of Arabica. By crossing commercial varieties such as Katula, Kauai, and CR95 with wild coffee varieties in the CATIE series. (Remember the wild species in Ethiopia?)
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The team has successfully developed over 100 hybrid vehicles. Of these, 20 were replicated through biotechnology screening. The next phase is a 6-7 year field study to further reduce the scope of hybrid vehicles that should be commercialized. The team is looking for coffee with high flavor quality, high productivity, and high disease resistance.
A few years ago, five of the 20 hybrids were listed in Central America, and testing was planned in South America, Africa, and parts of Asia.
In recent years, hybrid coffee has been proven to be successful. Centroamericano has scored 90.5 points in the Nicaraguan Cup of Excellence, which is an unusual result and a highlight of the F1 hybrid's future prospects. Centroamericano is a hybrid between Sudan Rumei and a rust proof variety called T5296. In addition to the potential of high-quality coffee, it also has high yield and disease resistance.
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Is It Possible That Hybrids Are Better Than Natural Ones?
Mixed varieties sound like the perfect choice. Jose and William said that most of these coffees are high-quality, with disease resistance and extraordinary flavor quality. The flavor and aroma may be more pleasant than many traditional varieties. In Costa Rica, some F1 hybrids can double the productivity of the widely cultivated Katula and Kauai.
However, the quality of coffee can be attributed to many factors, including altitude, equatorial distance, and growing temperature, all of which affect the rate of ripening of the fruit, and the slower the ripening rate, the better the flavor. Soil provides nutrients that allow coffee trees to grow healthier and thus produce better coffee beans. For example, volcanic soils have a lot of nitrogen.
For example, the World Coffee Research Laboratory WCR recommends that Centroamericano be grown at altitudes above 1500 meters, with some varieties growing at even higher altitudes.
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Planting, harvesting, and handling methods all affect flavor quality, such as a farmer harvesting only ripe fruit and drying it on a trellis. Specific treatments can also amplify the flavor characteristics of the coffee: for example, sun or honey processing can intensify the sweetness of the coffee, while washing can bring out a cleaner and brighter taste. Certain coffees and regions are better suited to certain treatments.
Pedro Gomez, a Barista lecturer at the Colombian National Learning Service (SENA), cautioned that in the end, consumers will decide what they want based on preference, and not everyone's preference is subjective.
There are many reasons why producers still choose to produce non-hybrid varieties on farm, as consumers are still interested in varieties such as Caturra and Bourbon.
However, F1 coffee hybrids are still an exciting development for the coffee industry and may solve problems such as climate change, coffee leaf rust and poor genetic diversity in Arabica. Perhaps we can look forward to their future development.
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