IMPORTANCE OF BEINGHIGH GROWN Edgar Moreno G.Coffee Quality Office Consultant

April, 2013

Agroclimatic Conditions affect crops volume and coffee quality (CQ):

Soils for coffee cropsSun radiation (luminosity) (1600-1800 h/year)Pluviometry rate (1800- 2800 nm/year)Shade / sun exposureAltitude of coffee farms Average Temperature of coffee farms

1)2)3)4)

6)5)

HIGH GROWN COFFEE OR COFFEE GROWN AT LOWER T °C?

Optimal T °C to Grow Coffee

ABOVE 24°C

BELOW 18°C

Photosyntesis of arabicas decreases(Cannell 1976).Fruit development and ripening are accelerated leading to loss of quality

Coffee tree grows slower

ARABICA: 18-23°C.

CANEPHORA (ROBUSTA): 18-23°C.

Coffee grown at sea level

Santa Marta Chiapas (Mex) 11° 14’ N 17° 59’ 00’’ 23°C 800 masl 18°C 1400 masl SHG

Best climate for coffee18 – 23°C

Nariño Boquete (Pan)1° 12’ N 8° 46’ 48” 23°C 1400 masl 18°C 1900 masl SHG

Research done in Caldas, Nariño,Sierra Nevada, (1992 – 1995) show:

HG

COFF

EES

HAD Cherries take 2-3 week more

Higher acidity, fruitiness and sweetnes

Unbalanced cup at highest altitude

Bigger bean size (Except Nariño and Cauca)

Need higher T for roasting

A.Rodríguez, A.Caballero and E. Moreno, Personal Communication (LIQC – FNC)

High grown coffee or coffee grown at lower T °C?

NORTH ZONE (9º58’56’’ - 11º16’00’’ LATITUDE NORTH) CENTRAL ZONE (4º34’56’’ - 6º22’56’’ LATITUDE NORTH) SOUTH ZONE (0º58’56’’ - 2º46’56’’ LATITUDE NORTH)

TAVERAGE:20.5ºCTAVERAGE:20.5ºCTAVERAGE:20.5ºC

0

25

COFF

EE P

LOTS

% B

Y ZO

NE

401

-50

0

2201

Y M

ÁS

Knusten coffees, Ltd. (San Francisco)

A few hundred feet difference in elevation does affect the QC.

Cupping samples of Caturra taken from 3186, 3713 and 4229 feet show: “The higher the crop, the brighter and more flavorful the cup”; the crispness of the acidity is improved at each increment of altitude.

The Coffee Trade Journal 34-39 Nov. 2007.

B. Bertrand et al / Food Chemistry 135 (2012)2575Realized an experiment in Reunion Island taken samples of 16 plots representative of variation in elevation (150-1032 m.a.s.l.).

- Tropical climates have a reduced T variation and elevation is the main factor modulating it.

- Taver, Tmin, Tmax were highly correlated with elevations (R<0.92, R<0.0001) and highly intercorrelated (R>0.95; P<0.000).

So, the best altitude to grow coffee in a country is variable and intimately related to latitude.

0

1

-1

-1 0 1

BODY BITTERNESS AROMATIC

QUALITY

FRUITY OVERALL QUALITY

ACIDITYETHANOLEARTHY

GREEN

TAVERSR

PET

R

PC 1: 57,43%

PC 2: 21,07%

Scatterplot of a principal components analysis based on

sensorial analysis findings. The PCA resulted from the

sensorial analysis of beverages produced from green coffee

samples harvested on 16 plots representative of variations in elevation (150 – 1032 m a.s.l.)

and climatic conditions on coffee plots.

Sensory criteria (active variables are represented in blue. Climatic variables are supplementary variables in

red. Taver, average daily temperatures: R, rainfall; SR, solar radiation; PET, potential

evapotranspiration. B. Bertrand et al / Food

Chemistry 135 (2012) 2575

masl

Importance of Being high grown...

Soils of volcanic ashes are present in altitude and favors an excellent development of the root system of coffee plants.

They have high levels of sulphur and sulfur containing compounds are precursors to aromatic molecules,so coffees grown in volcanic ashes will often have a strong aroma.

Due to low temperatures in altitude, coffee cherries take longer to mature resulting in higher sugar concentration.

Big differences between day-time and night-time temperature promote the production of sugar in cherries.

Sugars May increase sweetness of a coffee.

During roasting they are transformed into acid and aromatic compounds.

HIGH GROWN COFFEES HAVE:A lower Chlorogenic acids concentration* (They have astringent and bitter taste).

A lower fat concentration than low grown coffees*, so a higher perceived acidity.

*B.Guyot

CONCLUSIONS

Scatterplot of a principal components analysis based on

sensorial analysis findings. The PCA resulted from the

sensorial analysis of beverages produced from green coffee

samples harvested on 16 plots representative of variations in elevation (150 – 1032 m a.s.l.)

and climatic conditions on coffee plots.

Sensory criteria (active variables are represented in blue. Climatic variables are supplementary variables in

red. Taver, average daily temperatures: R, rainfall; SR, solar radiation; PET, potential

evapotranspiration. B. Bertrand et al / Food

Chemistry 135 (2012) 2575

Arabica coffee plant physiology requires optimal T (lower) to make the

biosynthesis of the different metabolites (sugars, proteins, acids,

cafeine…) responsible of the high acidity, fruitness and sweetness

regularly found in high grown coffees.

Other agroclimatic factors like soils have also influence on the coffee taste.

Comparing two (2) coffees, one from Nariño (volcanic ashes) and the other

one from Sierra Nevada (igneous and / or Metamorphic) and taken into account that both have been grown at same T (i.e.

18°C), the first one will have higher acidity.

THANKS

QUESTIONS?@ColCoffeeHub