K7 1

K7

Tol­er­ant to cof­fee leaf rust and cof­fee berry dis­ease. Found pri­mar­i­ly in Kenya and Tanzania.

Stature
Tall
Leaf tip color
Light Bronze
Bean Size
Large
Yield Potential
High
Low
Very High
Quality potential at high altitude
Good
Very Low
Exceptional
Optimal Altitude
Low, Medium
5°N to 5°S: 1000m-1600m
5–15°N and 5–15°S: 700m-1300m
>15°N and >15°S: 400m-1000m
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
Medium
Ripening of fruit
Unknown
Cherry to green bean outturn
High
Planting density
1000-2000 plants/ha (using single-stem pruning)
Additional agronomic information
K7 is distinguished by its spreading habit on young laterals although older primaries tend to droop. It has characteristic medium to narrow leaves with young shoot-tips that are light bronze in color. It is suited for lower altitudes where coffee leaf rust is prevalent.

Background

Genetic Description
Bourbon-Typica group (Bourbon related)
Lineage
Selected from French Mission. Bourbon-like genetic background.
Breeder
Individual farmer selection: R.H. Walker in Kenya in 1936
History
K7 is known for its tolerance to rust and coffee berry disease, and has been widely used in modern breeding programs in Kenya and Tanzania.K7 was released in Kenya in 1936 after five generations of selection from the original population by Scott Agricultural Laboratories (for a history of Scott Labs see SL28. It is still widely planted in Kenya.According to P. A. Jones, an agricultural officer at Kenya’s Coffee Research Station in the 1950s, K7 is one of two trees selected in 1936 by Mr. R. H. Walker from French Mission trees on his Legetet Estate in Muhorohi (for more on French Mission, see SL34. One of these selections, later named K7, was apparently immune to coffee leaf rust for several years (the variety is no longer resistant).Recent genetic tests have confirmed that K7 is related to the Bourbon genetic group.

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