Early Agronomic Performance of Some New and Existing Arabica Coffee Varieties in Kenya

Abstract

The primary goal of plant breeding is to improve yield, quality and disease resistance. However, majority of reported work on coffee breeding primarily concerns agronomical improvement that directly impinges on either coffee quality or yields. The main objective of this study was to compare the agronomic traits of new Arabica coffee varieties with existing commercial cultivars in Kenya. Field recording of cherry yield and disease infection was done during the cropping seasons of 2007 and 2008. Artificial inoculation for both Coffee Berry Disease (CBD) and Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR) were done in respective screening laboratories using Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Significant variations in yield and disease resistance were observed among the genotypes. There were significant negative correlations between disease scores (both CBD and CLR) and cherry yield.