Java

Java

High qual­i­ty in Cen­tral Amer­i­ca. Tol­er­ant to major dis­eases, with low fer­til­iz­er require­ment. Good choice for small­hold­er farmers.

Stature
Tall
Leaf tip color
Bronze
Bean Size
Large
Yield Potential
Medium
Low
Very High
Quality potential at high altitude
Very Good
Very Low
Exceptional
Optimal Altitude
High
Coffee leaf rust
Tolerant
Susceptible
Resistant
Nematode
Susceptible
Susceptible
Resistant
Coffee Berry Disease
Tolerant
Susceptible
Resistant

Agronomics

Year of first production
Year 3
Nutrition requirement
Low
Ripening of fruit
Average
Cherry to green bean outturn
Average
Planting density
3000-4000 plants/ha (using single-stem pruning)
Additional agronomic information

Background

Genetic Description
Ethiopian landrace
Lineage
Ethiopian landrace
Breeder
None
History
Java has a long history of cultivation. As indicated by the name, the variety was introduced to the island of Java directly from Ethiopia by the Dutch in the early 19th century.It was originally thought to be a Typica selection. In the mid-20th century, it was brought to Cameroon by a local farmer via the Vilmorin company, which acquired the seeds in Java from Porteres (a famous breeder). In Cameroon, the breeder Pierre Bouharmont observed that it was partially tolerant to coffee berry disease (CBD), a prevalent problem for coffee growers in Africa, and well adapted for smallholder growers using few inputs. After nearly 20 years of selection, it was released for cultivation in Cameroon in 1980-90.Even so, genetic fingerprinting of molecular markers has revealed that Java is a selection from an Ethiopian landrace population called Abysinia.It was introduced to Costa Rica in 1991 by the Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD) by breeder Benoit Bertrand. The objective was to provide options for smallholders using low inputs, as well as for CBD tolerance (CBD is not currently present in Central America, but there is concern it may move to the region). Seeds were sent to PROMECAFE countries, but it was never released in any of the countries. Subsequently Java’s quality potential at high altitudes has been recognized. The first Central American country to officially recognize Java was Panama in 2016.It represents an interesting alternative to the Geisha (Panama), which high cup quality but is more resilient for small farmers with better tolerance of coffee leaf rust and CBD.

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Related Varieties

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Geisha (Panama)

Gesha

Panamanian Geisha has exceptionally high quality at high altitudes. The term "Geisha" is often applied to other coffees that do not share the distinct genetics of Panamanian Geisha. Geisha is also cultivated widely in Malawi.

World Coffee Research

World Coffee Research is a 501 (c)(5) non-profit, collaborative research and development program of the global coffee industry to grow, protect, and enhance supplies of quality coffee while improving the livelihoods of the families who produce it.

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