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Coffee Arabica S.795 (Selection 795) Photo: placeholder pending image-fill pass

Coffee Arabica S.795 (Selection 795)

Selection 795 (S.795) is the most widely planted arabica coffee variety in India, accounting for an estimated 60-70% of the country's arabica acreage across Karnataka (Chikmagalur, Coorg, Hassan), Kerala (Wayanad) and the Nilgiris of Tamil Nadu. Released by the Central Coffee Research Institute (CCRI), Balehonnur in 1946, S.795 is a hybrid selection derived from a cross between Kent (an Indian arabica) and S.288, the latter carrying introgressed Coffea liberica genes that confer partial resistance to leaf rust.

Key characteristics

  • Pedigree: Kent × S.288 (S.288 contains C. liberica introgression)
  • Released: 1946 by CCRI, Balehonnur
  • Bean: bold, uniform, A-grade screen, good cup quality
  • Yield: 1,000-1,200 kg clean coffee/ha under well-managed shade
  • Leaf rust: tolerant to several physiological races of Hemileia vastatrix but not immune
  • Stature: tall, vigorous plant suited to two-tier shade

Cultivation

S.795 thrives at 900-1,500 m elevation in the Western Ghats under a two-tier shade canopy of silver oak (Grevillea robusta) as upper storey and dadap (Erythrina) or jackfruit as middle storey. Standard spacing is 2.1 m × 2.1 m (approximately 2,200 plants/ha). Pruning follows the single-stem capped system in Karnataka; double-stem or multi-stem systems are used in some Wayanad estates. Blossom showers in March-April and backing showers in April-May synchronise flowering; irrigation via sprinkler is used on larger estates when pre-monsoon showers fail.

Pests and diseases

S.795 is tolerant of leaf rust (Coffee Leaf Rust Hemileia Vastatrix) but new physiological races have eroded resistance in some zones, requiring prophylactic copper sprays during the south-west monsoon. The variety is highly susceptible to the white stem borer Xylotrechus quadripes (Coffee White Stem Borer Xylotrechus) and to the coffee berry borer Hypothenemus hampei (Coffee Berry Borer Hypothenemus). Black rot (Koleroga noxia) and brown eye spot (Cercospora coffeicola) occur in dense shade with poor air drainage.

Processing and adoption

S.795 cherries are processed by either the wet (washed) method, producing Indian Plantation A grades destined for European specialty markets, or the dry (natural) method producing Indian Cherry AB grades. A typical cherry-to-clean-coffee outturn is 5:1 for wet processing and 2.5:1 for dry. The variety's bold bean, balanced acidity and chocolate-spice cup profile have made it the workhorse of Indian arabica exports and the parent of newer selections including Coffee Arabica Sln 9 Saln 12.

See also: Coffee Arabica Vs Robusta India, Coffee Arabica Cauvery Catimor, Coffee Arabica Chandragiri, Coffee Leaf Rust Hemileia Vastatrix, Coffee White Stem Borer Xylotrechus, Coffee Shade Cultivation Silver Oak.

Sources

  1. Arabica Selections - Coffee Board of India. Coffee Board of India.
  2. Coffee Varieties released by CCRI Balehonnur. Central Coffee Research Institute, Balehonnur.