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Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BREEDCAFS (BREEDing Coffee for AgroForestry Systems)

Teaser

Summary

Coffee plant is threatened by increasing temperatures and occurrences of drought periods. BREEDCAFS (http://www.breedcafs.eu/)aims to find ways of maintaining coffee production under changing climates by developing new hybrids that produce high quality coffee in more defavorable climates and improving options for cultivation under Agroforestry Systems (AFS). The project studies F1 hybrids thought to be more resilient to climate change and more adapted to cultivation under shade. We combine testing a series of genotypes in field trials, with studies in more controlled conditions (greenhouses and climate chambers).

We undertook integrated studies on coffee growth, yield and quality with a large range of physiological, biochemical and molecular genetic techniques in order to improve our understanding of the functioning of coffee hybrid trees. The project also provides cutting-edge tools to analyze and understand the agronomic performance of coffee varieties grown under different environmental conditions, with the aim to select the best parents to develop new elite F1 hybrids in AFS and predict their performances at an early developmental stage. We evaluated new hybrid varieties, for their agronomic performance, profitability and product quality in three continents (Africa, Asia, Latin America).It is crucial to provide local smallholder producers with increased access to better performing varieties. We are thus promoting production, dissemination, and use of new Arabica hybrids to partners in Central America, Asia and Africa by transferring and democratizing large-scale propagation technologies.

In the context of climate change, and greater equity in coffee trade. we are also studying how improve the income distribution between stakeholders of the coffee value chain. All actors of the value-chain have a clear interest in engaging in agro-ecological and social initiatives preserving ecosystems and offering decent remuneration to farmers through a sustainable production of high quality coffee. Coffee agroforestry Business driven Clusters (CaFC) are part of such initiatives as a new organizational model to finance social and environmental innovations.

Clear governance structures and collaboration practices are mandatory conditions to expand BREEDCAFS novel breeding strategy to diverse organizations. One main objective is to identify pathways for enhancing future global governance mechanism for coffee genetic improvement.

Work performed

Trials have been established in Europe, Vietnam, Costa Rica, Cameroon, French Guiana and Nicaragua. Measurement campaigns have been undertaken and a database (www.breedcafs-db.eu) has been built to store all data. A flexible user friendly graphical interface (RobiNA) has been adapted to BREEDCAFS data and trials. Two populations of new hybrids were created to generate markers to predict the best combinations of parents to achieve hybrid vigor under AFS. Among the on-farm trials (Nicaragua, Costa Rica and French Guiana), data has been collected on biomass, yield, sensorial attributes, chemical compounds, and NMR spectral profiles of bean samples.

Training courses on vegetative propagation methods were organized for partners from Vietnam, Cameroon and Nicaragua and instruction manuals were distributed. In Nicaragua, a group of women was trained on horticultural minicuttings production and graduated successfully. In vitro plantlets have been sent to Vietnam and Cameroon, allowing the establishment of on-farm fields. Coffee innovation platforms are either already actively sharing the main BREEDCAFS results (Nicaragua, Vietnam) or being identified (Cameroon). A set of exploratory interviews helped the research team to better define the current challenges of the coffee community. They provided a general overview of existing governance structure and collaboration practices. Based on this initial step, an online survey instrument was deployed.

On the market side, a set of participatory meetings with marketing professionals identified key factors for the CaFC success and a short video has been produced to communicate this concept to a large audience.

Final results

We expect that the large amount of data generated by various disciplines will contribute to an overall understanding of coffee physiology and lead to new ways of performing coffee breeding. By the end of the project, we will have a much better understanding of traits involved in optimal plant yield under AFS and that this knowledge will allow us to provide tools to predict the best parental crosses to create new hybrids better adapted to agroforestry systems.

The data sets from the multiple analyses will be compiled in a large database and enable an in-depth analysis of the relationships between environment, vegetative growth, chemical compounds, NMR spectral profile and sensorial quality.

Training on vegetative propagation methods and establishment of local nurseries will allow autonomy of partners for unprecedented massive spread of F1 hybrids in Asia and Africa. The coffee innovation platforms established in the project will validate and adapt the CaFC to local social and economic environments.

The online survey will provide a picture of critical factors and opportunities for enhanced collaboration at the global level among actors involved in coffee genetics. The results derived from this analysis will be discussed in a multi-stakeholderâ€™s workshop that will gather the key players in this global landscape. Such approach will help making concrete recommendations on ways to improve current collaboration in genetics and breeding for sustainable coffee production, which has become urgent in the context of climate change.