Kenya Coffee Flavor and Taste introduction to the varieties of African and Kenyan coffee beans

In less than a century Kenya has become home to no fewer than four new varieties. First, Scott Laboratories identified the famous SL-28 and SL-34 of the 1930s. They combine amazing flavor and drought resistance. The perfect coffee factory? You might think so if it weren't for their susceptibility to coffee berry disease (CBD) and leaf rust (aka la roya). CBD can cause up to 60 percent of harvest losses, according to a study published in 2008 in the journal Plant Pathology of the American Society for Plant Pathology. The fungus, which produces spores that attack green cherries, was first discovered in Kenya in 1922. It mainly affects coffee cultivation in Africa. In the 1970s, Ruiru Station began experimenting with breeding different CBD and rust resistant varieties. The result was Ruiru11, released in the 1980s. High yield, and indeed CBD and rust-proof properties, this seems to be the solution to all of Kenya's coffee problems-except for the contour of the cup. SL-28 and SL-34 strains were added to the original mixture of Hibrido de Timor and Rume Sudan, the former being an Araba-Robosta hybrid. Adding SL certainly improves the taste, but Ruiru 11 still doesn't get to SL's dizzying heights. Despite this, coffee is highly productive, resistant to disease, and in good shape. For many people, this is enough. Coffee Research Institute (CRI) launched Batian on September 8, 2010, the latest variety available in Kenya. This was the culmination of further experiments based on lessons learned from Rui Ru 11. Genetically, it was selected from the backcross of SL-28 and 34, and is closer to SL-28 than Ruiru 11. This eliminates the problematic Robusta element, thereby improving the quality of the cup. Interestingly, Batian seems to be better than SL cupping. However, there may be other factors at play here-such as the low-quality example of SL-28 and 34 used in comparing cupping-but the results are noteworthy. As for CBD and coffee leaf rust, initial reports indicate good resistance-high yield per plant. Natural rust and CBD resistant varieties not only mean higher yields. It also means less demand for pesticides, which makes crops more attractive to buyers and reduces costs. Farmers do indeed attach great importance to prevention, given the potentially disastrous effects of disease on their crops and incomes. A large number of chemicals are used to offset the chance of infection, which not only has serious ecological consequences, but is also an expensive investment. CRI Director Dr. Elijah Gichuru told Daily Nation that reducing Batian's chemical usage could reduce overall production costs by up to 30 percent. This will greatly increase farmers 'profit margins and, combined with Batian's reputation for cupping, paint an optimistic picture of the future financial and ecological success of Kenya's coffee growing industry. There is one major problem with the current state of Batian in the industry: it is almost impossible to find it alone. Nguzo Africa, in partnership with the Coffee Institute, provided farms with more than 100,000 seedlings in 2015, so that may soon change. But, at the moment, Batian is almost always mixed up with SL and Ruiru 11. Ivica Cvetanovski discusses this in a 2015 blog post on the Rubens Gardenelli website. He was unable to find Batans who dealt independently, he said: "The main reason is that many farmers are small farmers with few trees and focus on picking and generating income for their families." Wet stations are not encouraged to handle small quantities, single varieties and microfields that we already know about." This makes it difficult for us to purchase single variety lots. This, in turn, affects both our ability to grow crops accurately-and thus determine their quality-and makes crops drinkable only as a single source. While SL's bulk crop is usually available on its own, obviously we have to wait and see. As an untested new variety, care must be taken in planting. We still need long-term research on this variety to understand its practical utility in terms of application, resistance and yield. An all-out push for large-scale cultivation would put the livelihoods of a large number of Kenyan producers at risk.