COFFEE PRODUCTION
Coffee production involves land preparation, planting, mulching, Spraying, Pest and disease Control,
pruning, Harvesting and sorting at farm level .Establishment of coffee crop can either is from planting of
new seedling or rehabilitation of abandoned coffee plant.
In all circumstances the farmer is required to keep records of cost of production in order to facilitate
measure the performance of the coffee enterprise
i)
Land preparation
Coffee establishment involves Preparing land well in advance of planting, Clear all land, completely dig
out any tree stumps, Grasses and all difficult weeds should be removed, Dig holes during dry weather at
least three months before planting to allow them to weather
The hole size: 60 cm x 60 cm x 60 cm (2ft x 2ft x 2ft) keeping top soil separately from the sub-soil.
On steeply sloping land, appropriate soil conservation measures should be considered during land
preparation.
ii) Planting
Involves Filling holes one month before planting and mound them slightly to allow settling when it rains
Requirements

Put one debe (20 litres) of well decomposed manure

100 g Triple Super Phosphate (45% P205) or DSP

100 g Dolomitic limestone (Ca Co3 Mg Co3) where soil is acidic

10 g of Furadan 10 G

If soil acidity is below optimum, use 200 g Single Super Phosphate (21% P2O5) in
place of Triple Super Phosphate.
i)
Planting procedure
The Soil should be wet to a depth of 60 cm (2 ft).Open soil mound to accommodate the taproot and
other roots. Remove the polybag before planting and Spread the roots in their natural plane. Fill in the
soil and press the soil firmly as you fill .Maintain the rooting zone of the seedling to avoid either deep or
shallow planting.
iv) Spacing
Ruiru 11 (eleven) hybrid
•
2 x 2 m (6 x 6 ft) - 2500 trees per hectare
•
Close spacing - 2 x 1.5 m (2 x 4.5 ft)- 3333 trees per hectare.
•
Close spacing is for high rainfall areas (over 1250mm per year) or irrigated coffee.
Traditional varieties (K7, SL28 & SL34)
•
2.74 x 2.74 m (9 x 9 ft) - 1329 trees per hectare
•
Hedge row spacing - 2.74 x 1.37 m (9 x 4.5 ft) giving 2660 trees per hectare
Batian varieties
It’s a true breeding Arabica coffee variety resistance to coffee berry diseases and leaf rust
Spacing of 2m x 2m of 2500 tree per hectare
Iv ) Terracing
This involves protecting soil degradation and soil erosion and prevents nutrients loss.
V) Mulching
This involves covering the top soil with grass contents for Moisture conservation. Other
importance includes; Suppress weeds, Supply of nutrients ,Improvement of soil structure
,Prevention of soil erosion and Encouragement of root development in the fertile top soil
,Increasing coffee yield/quality, Reduction of temperature fluctuations in the top soil, Reduction of
incidence of thrips.
i)
Spraying
This involves spraying the pesticide and fungicides to the coffee bushes to control the infected tpes of diseases
and pest.Spraying is done by uses of knapsack sprayers, and tractors for large farmers
ii)
Disease and Pest control
Globally coffee is attacked by 350 diseases and 1000 insect pest species. About 35 insect pests infest coffee in
Kenya. The major diseases infecting coffee includes; Coffee Berry Disease (CBD),Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR) and
Bacterial Blight Of Coffee (BBC)
The minor diseases in coffee includes;Fusarium Root Disease (FRD),Fusarium Bark Disease
(FBD),Brown-eye Spot Disease and Botrytis Warty Diseases .
Disease
Symptoms
Control
Coffee berry  Dark brown  Prune
coffee
trees
disease (CBD)
streaks
on
immediately after main
(Colletotrichu
flowers
harvest.
m kahawae)
 Small
dark  Remove old stems and
sunken
thin out branches
patches
on  Plant
resistant/tolerant
green berries
varieties
 Dark, sunken  Use
recommended
parches with
copper based fungicides
black dots on
e.g. Red or green copper
ripe
berries
(Brown
Blight)
Physical symptoms
Coffee
leaf
Rust
(Hemileia
vastatrix)
 Orange
patches
caused
by
spore masses
on
lower
surface
of
leaves.
 The
colour
changes
to
yellow orange
and
defoliation
occurs leading
to die-back.
 Plant resistant varieties
e.g. Ruiru 11 and Batian
 Timely application of
50% copper formulations
e.g. Dithianon
 Initial black
lesions
and
water soaked
leave margins
 Brown,
dry
leaves that roll
inwards
without
shedding
 Dieback and
black
shriveled
flowers and
pinheads
Occurs in three
Fusarium
Bark Disease distinct forms:
(FBD)
(  storey’s back
Fusarium
-Depressed
stilboides)
dark
brown
lesions
at
sucker base
 Scaly back Rising up and
flaking
of
Bacterial
Blight
of
Coffee (BBC)
(Elgon/Solai
Die-back)
( Pseudomonas
syringae)
 Minimize pruning and
use of foliar feeds
 Plant shade trees/wind
breaks
 Cut off infected twigs
and disinfect implements
used.
 Integrate
chemical
control of CBD and BBC
e.g. use Daconil mixed
with Copper Nordox or
Cobox.
 Report
suspected
infection to local Coffee
Extension Officer/Coffee
Research Foundation
 Uproot and destroy trees
having dieback
 Spray suckers kept for
conversion with Captan
 Disinfect pruning tools
with methylated spirit.
bark
on
mature stems.
 Collar
Rot
:Cankerous
lesion round
the stem base
at the soil
level leading
to
die-back
from tree top
Fusarium
 Cutting a bit -Uproot dead trees and
Root Disease
of the stem sterilize the planting hole
(FRD)
near the soil with Basamid (Dazomet) at
caused
by
level of a tree 150g/hole or leave whole
unplanted for 3-6 months.
Fusarium
reveals
-Burn
infected tree.
solani
purplish pink
-Avoid root damage of new
stain.
 Dry rot at seedlings at planting
centre
of
wood
if
infection has
stayed long.
Major pest in coffee
Damage
Control
Sample pest
Kenya Mealy
Bug
(Planococcus
kenyae)
Leaf
Miner
(Leucoptera
meyricki and
L caffeina)
Antestia Bug
(Antestiopsis
spp)
 Mealy white
masses
between
clusters
of
berries
and
flower buds
 Spots of sooty
mould
on
upper surface
of the leaves.
 Irregular
brown
blotches
on
the upper side
of the leaves
 Blackened
flower
buds
and
rotten
beans within
berries.
 Black stripes
(zebra) on dry
parchment
 Use
insecticide
e.g.
Sumithion
 Cut branches touching
ground.
 Paint
stem
with
insecticide e.g. Dursban.
 Apply soil insecticide
around the stem e.g.
Amdro
 Apply soil insecticide e.g.
Disulfotan
(Disyston),
biological
insecticides
e.g. Nomolt or foliar
insecticides
e.g.
Sumicidin
 Timely pruning, handling
and de-suckering.
 Use insecticides e.g.
Fenitrothion

Lace Bug
(Habrochila
spp)
 Yellow
patches
on
lower side of
leaves covered
with spots of
shiny
black
liquid excreta.
 Spray insecticide e.g.
Fenitrothion or Fenthion

Pest identification
Stem/branch borers
Root feeders
Root nematodes
Root mealy bugs
Yellow Headed
Borer damage
4
White Borer
damage
6
Sap feeders /suckers
Yellow headed borer adult
Yellow headed borer larva
7
White borer ring barking
Green scales attack on stems
8
iii)
Canapoy management
This is the overall process of optimizing production of bearing wood in order to maximize regular annual cropping
through the pruning, tree training, handling, de-suckering and change of cycle. Pruning is a thinning process
through which plant vigour is concentrated in desired parts of the plant by cutting away others.
 Pruning
This is done immediately after main crop ie. January for farmers whose main crop is the October- November crop
.Sick looking trees due to dieback should NOT be pruned until after the following rain season. Pruning should be
done only after the new growth .
The function of pruning include;
i.
Facilitate free entry of light and air
ii.
Enhance
pest
and
disease
management
iii.
Enhance penetration of chemical sprays
iv.
Achieve suitable crop/leaf ratio
v.
Achieve regular uniform cropping
vi.
Regulate number of heads
vii.
Rejuvenation of plant – bring fresh vigor

Tree training
There are two distinct systems of tree training in coffee - The capped tree system and the uncapped tree system
(free growth) which is more appropriate for small holder farmers.
TREE TRAINING SYSTEMS
Capped tree system
Uncapped tree system (free growth)

Un Cap seedlings at 15 cm to encourage two heads to grow – For R II allow 2 heads in the second cycle
Capping is done at 1.83 m (6 ft) from soil level
Handling

These involves Thinning out the flush or young shoots after the rains.its Done any time but usually after the
main rains.its also involves Replace mature secondaries with young shoots
Desuckering

Involves Removal of unwanted suckers – done any time but least every but at least every three to four
months .Do not allow suckers to grow unless for change of cycle or to replace a broken head
Change of cycle
Start preparing for change of cycle 18 to 24 months before heads are to be cut off
Cut off inside branches leaving a head measuring 1.5 – 2.5 ft from top
Allow suckers to grow on main stem or heads between 30 – 45 cm
(12in -18 in) from ground between
August and November
iv)
Harvesting
On average the newly established coffee take between 2 - 3yrs depending on the variety.
Already established coffee have two picking season; Early crop between april-may and late crop
between September to January . Timely and selective picking of the fully ripe coffee cherry judged by their deep
red colour. Mixed stages of maturity and ripeness of cherries may cause pulping and fermentation problems.
v)
Sorting
This is done at farm level after the coffee picking is done. its involves removing unripe , immature green under
riped, overriped, dry, insect damaged, leaves ,small cherries and unwanted material before the coffee is wet
processed.
Use clean material like canvas - avoid contact of cherry with soil during sorting.
vi)
Gross margin OF COFFEE
Cost of production vs returns in the small holder sector
5kg fair, 10kg better, 15 kg good
Most farmers
At
At
(over >80%) 5kgs/tre 10kgs
Produce
e
/tree
o – 2kg/tree
For R 11
at
7kgs/tree
Production kg clean
coffee/acre
O – 150kg
378kg
760kg
1000kg
Cost/acre (Sh.)
12,500
31,700
50,500
52,500
Cost/kg cherry (Sh.)
18.50
12.00
9.50
7.50
Net revenue per
acre at Sh.24/kg
cherry
4,700
34,400
82,400
122,500
% return
35%
108%
160%
233%