Coffee Production and Trade

Coffee botany and ecology

Key differences between arabica and robusta coffee

	Arabica	Robusta
Green bean
Chromosomes (2n)	44	22
Time from flower to ripe cherry	9 months	10-11 months
Flowering	After rain	Irregular
Yield (kg beans/ha)	1500-3000	2300-4000
Root system	Deep	Shallow
Soil requirements	Fertile soil	Poorer soil
Temperature requirements	Moderate	More heat tolerant, more sensitive to cold
Optimum temperature (yearly average)	15-24° C	24-30° C
Optimal rainfall	1500-2000 mm	2000-3000 mm
Optimum altitude for growth	1000-2000 m	0-700 m
Hemileia vastatrix (Coffee rust)	Susceptible	Resistant
Nematodes	Susceptible	Resistant
Tracheomycosis (Coffee wilt disease)	Resistant	Susceptible
Coffee berry disease	Susceptible	Resistant
Caffeine content of beans	0.8-1.4%	1.7-4.0%
Shape of bean	Flat	Oval
Typical brew characteristics	Acid, fuller flavour	Bitter, weaker flavour
Body	Average = 1.2%	Average = 2.0%

Source: Adapted from International Coffee Organization, www.ico.org