Knowing the types of coffee cultivation

Coffee plant is believed to originate from the African continent and then spread throughout the world. Currently coffee is grown widespread in Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Africa. Coffee trees can grow well in tropical areas and subtropical includes the highlands and lowlands. Coffee is harvested for its nut then made drinks or other foodstuffs.


In Indonesia, coffee plants were brought by the Dutch in 1896. They introduced the Arabica coffee types. On development, occurred disease leaf rust (HV) that cause plant death en masse. Then the colonial administration introduced Liberika and Robusta coffee types are more resistant to disease HV.

Types of coffee cultivation

The most popular type of coffee is arabica. Coffee lovers appreciate the kind of arabica coffee is more than any other coffee. Determinants of coffee quality among other species habitat besides growing, cultivation techniques, post-harvest handling and processing of seeds.

Types of coffee that is in the earth so are manifold. However, only four types of coffee are cultivated and traded in bulk. Most just collected research centers and planted on a limited basis. Some are still grows wild in nature.

Four types of coffee are widely cultivated is Arabica coffee types, robusta, Liberika and Excelsa. Approximately 70% of circulating types of coffee on the world market is Arabica coffee. Followed Robusta coffee types dominate 28%, the rest is Liberika and Excelsa coffee.

a. Coffee arabica
Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) is a type of coffee that is most preferred because it is considered the most good. This type of coffee is recommended to be planted at an altitude of 1000-2100 meters above sea level. But still could grow well at an altitude of 800 meters above sea level. When planted in the lower plains, the type of coffee is very susceptible to disease HV.

Arabica will grow optimally in the temperature range 16-20oC. To get a good harvest, dry months arabica coffee requires about 3 months / years. Arabica began to be harvested after 4 years old. With an average productivity of about 350-400 kg / ha / year. However, when reared intensively can produce up to 1500-2000 kg / ha / year.

When was ripe, the fruit bright red arabica. Mature fruit is easy to fall out, if left unchecked the fruit will absorb odors exist on the ground so that the quality goes down. Arabica should be harvested before the fruit fall to the ground. Yield or percentage between harvest fruit with coffee beans (green beans) produced approximately 18-20%.

Arabica coffee farmers cultivate fruit regular coffee with a wet process. Although costly and take longer, but the quality of the coffee beans produced much better.

b. Robusta coffee

Robusta coffee (Coffea canephora) more tolerant of cultivated land elevation. Both types of coffee are grown at an altitude of 400-800 m above sea level with temperature 21-24oC. Buididaya type of coffee is very suitably carried out in lowland where arabica coffee HV susceptible to disease. First after a massive attack HV disease, the colonial government mereplanting arabica coffee plants with robusta.

Robusta coffee type faster than arabica flowering. Within about 2.5 years robusta has begun to be harvested even though the results are not optimal. Robusta productivity on average is higher than the arabica which is about 900-1300 kg / ha / year. With intensive maintenance productivity can be increased up to 2000 kg / ha / year.

To bear fruit well, kind of robusta coffee takes heat for 3-4 months of the year with some rain. Robusta fruit rounded shape and tend to be dark red color. Fruit robusta strong stick in stem although ripe. Robusta coffee is quite high yield of about 22%.

The fans appreciate the robusta coffee is lower than arabica. Because the price is low, farmers often cultivate robusta coffee beans with a dry process lower cost.

c. coffee Liberika

Liberika coffee (Coffea Liberica) can grow well in lowland where robusta and arabica can not grow. Types of coffee are the most resistant to the disease than other types HV. Perhaps that is the Liberika coffee excellence. The size of leaves, branches and tree height coffee types Liberika greater than arabica and robusta.

Coffee Liberika considered lower quality than robusta and arabica. Fruit size is uneven, there is a big no small mixed in a bunch. In addition Liberika coffee yield is also very low at around 12%. This makes farmers plant the kind of coffee lazy.

Produtivitas Liberika type of coffee is in the range of 400-500 kg / ha / year. Liberika can bloom all year round and its primary branches can last longer. In one book can bloom more than once. In Indonesia, this type of coffee grown in Java and Lampung.

d. excelsa coffee

Excelsa coffee (Coffea excelsa) is one type of coffee is the most tolerant of land elevation. This coffee grows well in lowland began 0-750 meters above sea level. In addition, Excelsa coffee is also resistant to high temperatures and drought.

Excelsa coffee tree can soar up to 20 meters. Big leaf shape and width with a grayish green color. Soft fruit skin, can be peeled easily by hand. Excelsa coffee has an average productivity of 800-1200 kg / ha / year. Another advantage is the type of Excelsa coffee can be grown on peatlands. In Indonesia, excelsa found limited in the area of Tanjabbar, Jambi.

Other types of coffee
a searching Based on the literature, there are thousands of species of coffee in the world. But in global trade is only known four species are as described above. As for some other types are as follows:

Coffea dewevrei	Coffea khasiana
Coffea arnoldiana	Coffea salvatrix
Coffea abeokutae	Coffea congenis
Coffea wightiana	Coffea kapakata
Coffea bengalensis	Coffea stenophylla
Coffea traverncorensis	Coffea eugenioides
Coffea recemosa	Coffea zanguebariae