What Are F1 Hybrids Coffee And Its Benefits?

Before we look at hybrids, a quick look at coffee varieties, there are about 100 known varieties of coffee. Still, in general, in coffee shops, you will only see Arabica, Robusta, or a blend of the two.

Arabica is the most commonly used variety, known for its high-quality flavor and aroma, but at the same time, Arabica coffee trees are less resistant to pests and diseases. On the other hand, Robusta is more resistant to pests and diseases, has a higher content of caffeine, but is generally more bitter than Arabica (although there are still some coffees known as specialty robusta that circulate in the specialty coffee world).

At present, only Arabica dominates the specialty coffee factory. This variety will be subdivided into many varieties. Each variety has different flavor characteristics, disease resistance, yield, and suitable growing environment.

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The lack of variety in arabica is a problem.

Different varieties of species should increase genetic diversity. Yet it actually has an alarming 98.8 percent genetic similarity. To illustrate this, compare crops such as rice and soybeans, which are only 70-80% similar, making Arabica even more vulnerable.

If leaf rust affects a particular variety, there is a good chance it will affect other similar varieties. Therefore, many varieties that protect against coffee leaf rust are extensions of Catimors. These are a mix of the Arabica varieties Caturra and Timor, which itself is a mix of Arabica and Robusta. Robusta increases disease resistance, diversity. However, this also means that specialty coffee buyers may be hesitant about the quality of these varieties.

Coupled with the impact of global climate change, if there is no practical action to solve this problem, the Arabica species will slowly disappear.

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Ethiopia, the birthplace of the coffee gene, has the widest variety of Arabica. In fact, studies in the past few years have pointed out that more than 95% of coffee genes are derived from Ethiopia.

There are many varieties that grow in the wild in Ethiopia. If you see a coffee bean bag labeled native to Ethiopia, it may mean that it was grown in the wild or that it has been cultivated to a very low degree.

You'll also find some cultivars, like the Geisha Geisha, which has become extremely popular in recent years, first in Ethiopia and brought to Panama to thrive.

However, most Arabica varieties are nothing more than Typica, Bourbon, and related extensions.

Varieties of traditional Arabica are either fortunately mutated in their natural state or produced by hand (called cultivars).

However, the lack of genetic diversity and low disease resistance of these varieties, whether they are cultivars or not, has always been a problem, so some people are looking at F1 hybrids. These are varieties that are bred on a large scale in the laboratory, and researchers are able to span a wide variety of coffees to create the desired qualities and properties.

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Regarding the question of hybrid coffee cultivation, the results of hybrids can be seen in a very short time through asexual reproduction.

Hybrids are an effective way to achieve greater improvements in yield, quality, and appearance, and hybrids can survive in areas that suffer from drought or frequent rainfall.

F1 hybrids are generally stronger and healthier than naturally bred ones. Although it is not because of the same level of diversity and therefore the same cold hardiness as F1 hybrids for natural varieties, this is also unlikely. This allows F1 hybrids to survive harsh environmental conditions, William said.

Talking about "creating" the perfect breed can be a bit misleading: researchers can't just imagine a breed and then create it. However, what can be done is to breed new varieties of hybrid plants with the same characteristics.

William said that at their research institute CATIE, the purpose of their research is to expand the genetic basis of Arabica. By crossing commercial varieties such as Caturra, Catuai, and CR95 with wild coffee varieties in the CATIE range. (Remember the wild breed in Ethiopia?)

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The team successfully developed more than 100 hybrids. Of these, 20 were selected and replicated through biotechnology. The next stage is six to seven years of field studies to narrow down further which hybrids should be commercially available. The team is looking for coffee with high productivity, high disease resistance, and high flavor quality.

Five of these 20 hybrids have been marketed in Central America in previous years, and there are also plans to be tested in parts of South America, Africa, and Asia.

Hybrid coffees have proven successful in recent years, with the Centroamericano variety scoring 90.5 points in the Nicaragua Cup of Excellence, an extraordinary result, and a bright spot for future prospects for F1 hybrids. Centroamericano is a cross between Sudan Rumei and a rust-resistant variety called T5296. In addition to its potential for high-quality coffee, it is also high-yielding and disease-resistant.

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A mixed-breed sounds like the perfect choice. Jose and William say that most of these coffees are premium, disease-resistant, and of exceptional flavor quality. The flavor and aroma may be more pleasing than many traditional varieties. In Costa Rica, some F1 hybrids can double the productivity of the widely grown Caturra and Catuai.

However, the quality of coffee can be attributed to many factors, including altitude, equatorial distance, and growing temperature, which all affect how quickly the fruit ripens—usually, the slower the ripening, the better the flavor. Soil provides nutrients that allow coffee trees to grow healthier, resulting in better coffee beans. Volcanic soils, for example, have large amounts of nitrogen.

Of course, different coffee trees are also suitable for growing in different environments. For example, WCR, the World Coffee Research Institute, recommends that the Centroamericano variety be planted at an altitude of more than 1,500 meters, and some varieties are suitable for growing at even higher altitudes.

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Planting, harvesting, and handling all affect flavor quality. For example, a farmer only picks ripe fruit and dries it on a trellis. Certain treatments can also amplify the flavor profile of coffee: sun or honey treatments, for example, intensify the sweetness of the coffee, and water rinses result in a cleaner and brighter mouthfeel. Certain coffees, certain regions, are more suitable for certain treatments.

Pedro Gomez, a Barista lecturer at the Colombian National Learning Service (SENA), reminded consumers to ultimately judge what they want to choose based on their preferences. Not everyone's preferences are also subjective.

Hybrid coffee will not replace traditional varieties and cultivars. There are many reasons why producers can choose to produce non-hybrid varieties on their farms, as consumer interest in varieties such as Geisha, Bourbon, and Caturra remains.

However, F1 hybrids are an exciting development in the coffee industry that may address issues such as poor Arabica genetic diversity, climate change, coffee leaf rust, and more. Maybe look forward to their development in the future.

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