What is F1 mixed coffee what are the advantages of F1 mixed coffee

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Mixed coffee has the opportunity to get higher scores on the cup test, and has better disease resistance and better yield in planting. But what kind of coffee are they? Why do we have to pay attention to it? Is it possible for hybrids to replace existing single varieties such as bourbon or Tibica?

Take a quick look at coffee varieties

Before we look at the mix, let's take a quick look at the varieties of coffee. There are about 100 known varieties of coffee, but the general classification of coffee shops will only see Arabica, Robusta, or a mixture of two kinds of coffee.

Arabica is the most commonly used variety, known for its high-quality flavor and aroma, but at the same time Arabica coffee trees are also poor in resistance to diseases and insect pests. Robusta, on the other hand, is more resistant to disease and insect pests and has higher levels of caffeine, but it is usually more bitter than Arabica (although some so-called boutique robusta coffee is still in circulation in the boutique coffee world).

At present, only Arabica dominates the boutique coffee factory, and this variety will be subdivided into many varieties, each with different flavor characteristics, disease resistance, yield and suitable growth environment.

Variety and Diversity of Coffee

Arabica coffee lacks diversity, which is a problem.

Different varieties of species should increase genetic diversity. Yet it actually has a worrying 98.8% genetic similarity. To illustrate this point, compared with crops such as rice and soybeans, the similarity is only 70-80%, which makes Arabica more vulnerable.

If leaf rust affects a particular variety, it is likely to affect other similar varieties. Therefore, many varieties that prevent coffee leaf rust are an extension of Katimo. These are a mixture of Arabica varieties Kaddura and Timor, which itself is a mixture of Arabica and Robusta. Robusta increased disease resistance and diversity. However, it also means that boutique 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 gradually disappear.