Crave that cup of coffee in the morning? Globally, consumers drink more than 2.2 billion cups daily. Someone grows all that joe: More than 100 million farmers worldwide produce coffee. Coffee beans consumed across the globe come from two species: Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora, also known as Robusta (or Conilon) coffee. Historically, coffee drinkers prefer Arabica beans for their specific flavor and aroma, said Felipe Ferrao, a University of Florida research assistant scientist in horticultural sciences. But by 2050, about 80% of Arabica production is predicted to decrease because of climate change. So, Ferrao and colleagues from France (RD2 Vision) and Brazil (Incaper Institution) are investigating to see if they can find alternative coffee cultivars. Scientists see two alternatives to supplement Arabica: one, adapt coffee farming practices to new environments and two, focus on species that are more resilient. New UF/IFAS-led research shows that Robusta coffee might be a good candidate to augment Arabica. The work is published in the journal Crop Science. "If you consider that nowadays, about 60% of coffee beans commercialized around the globe are from Coffea arabica, the coffee industry is looking for alternatives," said Ferrao, lead author of the new study. "This is how and where Robusta coffee emerges as a good candidate." In the past few decades, production of Robusta coffee increased about 30%, representing a significant improvement in the coffee chain, he said. "Overall, the species produces more coffee than Arabica, using fewer inputs, such as fertilizer and water. As its name suggests, the plant is more robust," Ferrao said. "While the demand for Robusta coffee likely won't decrease, our biggest challenge is to meet the demand for quality and productivity required by the coffee chain. In this sense, genetics and breeding studies can provide basic elements for a better understanding of diversity and factors that... |