Coffee Ecosystem Research Articles

Assessing changes in soil organic carbon stocks and vulnerability to land degradation in Western Ghats, South India: Is it restorative enough?

AbstractSoil organic carbon stock is an important universal land degradation indicator. Owing to the depletion in soil nutrients, the pace of land degradation has increased in the Western Ghats of South India. To understand the changes in surface and subsurface soil organic carbon stocks and vulnerability to land degradation upon land use change, a study was carried out along the natural forest and coffee plantation ecosystems of Western Ghats in South India. The study sites were located in Chikmagaluru of Karnataka and Wayanad and Idukki districts of Kerala. Soil organic carbon stocks (SOC) at the surface (0–30 cm) were higher, 9.10 t C ha−1 and 7.49 k t C ha−1 in forest soils of Chikmagaluru and Idukki, respectively, and the subsurface (30–100 cm) SOC stocks were higher in the coffee plantation ecosystems, 9.11, 9.87, and 8.41 t C ha−1, respectively, in Chikmagaluru, Wayanad, and Idukki. Vulnerability analysis revealed that Chikmagaluru forest (0.57) and coffee (0.51), Wayanad forest (0.58) and coffee (0.55) land uses were low, and both the land uses in Idukki were medium in the status of land degradation with scores of 0.65 and 0.60, respectively, in forest and coffee ecosystems. The difference in the status of land degradation was mainly because of changes in soil reaction, surface, and subsurface SOC stock. An increase in soil pH, CEC, and available nutrients upon conversion to coffee plantation along with increased subsurface carbon storage have confirmed the restorative properties of coffee land use even after conversion from natural forests.

Asia Africa's Impact on Middle East's Specialty Coffee Community

In an era when work entails accomplishment, personal progress, financial security, social connections, and finding meaning, the specialty coffee sector has become a magnet for experts from Asia and Africa looking to offer their skills to the Middle East's coffee value chain. This engrossing study dives into the motivations and preferences of labor from different regions, offering light on the unique dynamics that entice people to this particular sector and geographical context. The article investigates the cultural interchange, skill development opportunities, and career progression that attract workers to the Middle East's specialty coffee industry using prominent ideas such as the Pull-Push Theory, Resource-Based View Theory, and Cultural Diversity Theory. The findings not only demonstrate the transforming potential of work, but they also give critical insights for industry stakeholders, governments, and scholars interested in maintaining a thriving and inclusive coffee ecosystem in the region and beyond.

A Novel Caffeine Oleate Formulation as an Insecticide to Control Coffee Berry Borer, Hypothenemus hampei, and Other Coffee Pests

The coffee berry borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari, 1867) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), is the pest that causes the most economic damage to coffee crops. Chemical control of this insect is based on the use of insecticides that can affect the environment and nontarget organisms. Despite the fact that caffeine has shown potential as an insecticide, a caffeine-based product for field use is currently not available on the market. As a new alternative to control CBB and other coffee pests, such as Monalonion velezangeli Carvalho and Costa, 1988 (Hemiptera: Miridae), a caffeine-oleate was developed. The caffeine oleate formulation showed laboratory efficacy by causing mortality of more than 90% of CBB adults in preventive tests in which the insecticide was sprayed prior to insect attack on the coffee fruits. In the curative tests, in which spraying occurred after CBB infested the fruits, the formulation caused 77% mortality of the insects. Under controlled field conditions, the product kept CBB infestation below 20%, reducing the number of fruits attacked by the insect by up to 70%. In addition, no phytotoxic effects were observed in coffee plants. The insecticide was also effective against M. velezangeli, causing 100% mortality. A caffeine oleate formulation that could be part of a strategy for integrated CBB management as well as other pests of coffee was developed. The components of the insecticide are food grade, and the product would provide greater security to the coffee ecosystem and coffee growers.

Protection and Management of Gayo Arabica Coffee in the Laws and Regulations of Central Aceh Regency

Coffee is one of the leading commodities in the plantation subsector because it has market opportunities, both domestically and abroad. Gayo Coffee (English: Gayo Coffee) is a variety of arabica coffee that is one of the leading commodities originating from the Gayo Plateau. Gayo Coffee has received Fair Trade Certified™ from the International Fair Trade Organization on May 27, 2010, and has also received an IG (Geographical Indication) certificate submitted by the Ministry of Law and Human Rights (Kemenkumham) Republic of Indonesia. People living in the Gayo highlands until now live dependent on coffee, butuntil now there are still problems experienced by gayo coffee farmers, such as the condition of coffee selling prices that are still unstable, and tend to plummet. Therefore, the problems experienced by gayo coffee farmers should be accommodated in a law, especially at the regional level. So that problems that occur like this are not experienced continuously and protracted by coffee farmers from year to year. Based on the background that has been described, the formulation of the problem in this study is what things must be contained in Qanun so that can it provide protection for the management of gayo arabica coffee in Central Aceh Regency? The research method used in this study is normative juridical research, which is carried out through literature studies that examine (mainly) secondary data in the form of laws and regulations, or other legal documents, research results, assessment results, and other references. The results showed that the things that need to be contained in Qanun protection for the management of gayo arabica coffee include arrangements about gayo arabica coffee ecosystem, gayo coffee commerce and cultivation, international cooperation, coffee research and education centers, customary institutions related to the protection and management of gayo arabica coffee, tourism and coffee villages, Geographical Indication certification, and Coffee Regionally Owned Enterprises (BUMD). The suggestion from the researcher is that Central Aceh Regency should have a regulation in the form of Qanun which regulates the protection and management of Gayo Arabica Coffee, because this area is an area that is a source of coffee and has become the lifeblood of the people in Gayo.

Diversity of Odonata in a coffee ecosystem

A total of 419 individuals under 5 families, 10 genera and 10 species of Odonata were observed in the present study on the Odonata from a coffee ecosystem at the lower Palni Hills, Tamil Nadu, India. Among these, the family Libellulidae included six species followed by Euphaeidae (2), and Chlorocyphidae, Coenagrionidae and Aeshnidae (1 each). The dominant species were: Pantala flavescens (44.40%) > Diplacodes trivialis (22.70%) > Orthetrum chrysis (7.40%). Pantala flavescens was maximum during northeast monsoon season (50.0%) followed by summer and winter (43.8% each). Margalef index of species richness was maximum (2.00) during winter, and that of Simpson index was maximum (0.75) during south west monsoon. Shannon-Wiener index of dominance was maximum (1.75) during summer. The species were evenly distributed during summer with Pielou’s evenness index value of 0.76.

Biodiversity of the Genus Trichoderma in the Rhizosphere of Coffee (Coffea arabica) Plants in Ethiopia and Their Potential Use in Biocontrol of Coffee Wilt Disease

The present study investigated the distribution status and biodiversity of Trichoderma species surveyed from coffee rhizosphere soil samples from Ethiopia and their potential for biocontrol of coffee wilt disease (CWD) caused by Fusarium xylarioides. Trichoderma isolates were identified based on molecular approaches and morphological characteristics followed by biodiversity analysis using different biodiversity indices. The antagonistic potential of Trichoderma isolates was evaluated against F. xylarioides using the dual confrontation technique and agar diffusion bioassays. A relatively high diversity of species was observed, including 16 taxa and 11 undescribed isolates. Trichoderma asperellum, T. asperelloides and T. longibrachiatum were classified as abundant species, with dominance (Y) values of 0.062, 0.056 and 0.034, respectively. Trichoderma asperellum was the most abundant species (comprising 39.6% of all isolates) in all investigated coffee ecosystems. Shannon’s biodiversity index (H), the evenness (E), Simpson’s biodiversity index (D) and the abundance index (J) were calculated for each coffee ecosystem, revealing that species diversity and evenness were highest in the Jimma zone (H = 1.97, E = 0.76, D = 0.91, J = 2.73). The average diversity values for Trichoderma species originating from the coffee ecosystem were H = 1.77, D = 0.7, E = 0.75 and J = 2.4. In vitro confrontation experiments revealed that T. asperellum AU131 and T. longibrachiatum AU158 reduced the mycelial growth of F. xylarioides by over 80%. The potential use of these Trichoderma species for disease management of F. xylarioides and to reduce its impact on coffee cultivation is discussed in relation to Ethiopia’s ongoing coffee wilt disease crisis.

NOTES ON GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION, ADVERTISEMENT CALL AND HABITAT OF THE STARRETT’S TREE FROG Isthmohyla tica (Hylidae) IN THE ZONA DE LOS SANTOS, COSTA RICA

Central American hylids frogs of the genus Isthmohyla have suffered dramatic decline in highlands. Many species of this genus are considered critically endangered, including Isthmohyla tica, an endemic species of Costa Rica and Panama. We found a population of I. tica inside agricultural coffee ecosystems in Tarrazú, San José, Costa Rica and we describe new advertisement calls of this species. The discovery of this population represents the most recent records in the Zona de Los Santos since the last record in 1963; until now, only stable populations were known in the Children's Eternal Rainforest, Monteverde. The presence of this endangered species, among with other threatened amphibians, reflects the importance of better understanding their presence in these agro-ecosystems and ensuring the conservation of forest patches inside coffee plantations.

Impact assessment of the Coffee Social Network (Rede Social do Café)

The aim of the present study was to assess the impacts of the Coffee Social Network (Rede Social do Café - RSC) among different categories of users through proposal of a method based on multidimensional indicators. The RSC shares information about coffee and promotes collaboration and exchange of experiences in the coffee ecosystem. In an online study conducted in 2019 with 366 respondents, we observed an overall measured impact of the RSC of 29.1%, ranging from 25% to 37%, among eight categories of users: Agroindustry, Technical Assistance and Rural Extension (TARE), Commercialization, Communication, Education, Research, Agricultural Production, and Other. The most expressive results were found in the Quality, Evolution in Knowledge, and Adoption of Technologies indicators, at 44.4%, 39.4%, and 38.4%, respectively. Such indicators refer to an established pattern in each one of the categories of users and are aligned with the objectives of the RSC and with its most frequent themes. The results found are relevant for the management of the platform, whether as informative content or in relationship with users. Finally, the model of impact assessment proved to be appropriate for the RSC and can be applied in other social networks linked to agribusiness. Key words: Social network; impact assessment; coffee; agribusiness.

Deep Learning Model Development for Detecting Coffee Tree Changes Based on Sentinel-2 Imagery in Vietnam

Scientists and land managers have spent considerable time and resources monitoring coffee forests in the great basalt plateau. Deep learning models for coffee classification using remote sensing data have developed into a tool that may eventually replace manual image interpretation. This study proposes a U-Net model for classifying coffee planting regions using Sentinel-2 data, which aid in the annual monitoring of coffee plantation area changes. Numerous optimizer methods were evaluated and compared to support-vector-machine and random-forest methods. Twelve U-Net models were trained and compared in total. The trained deep learning models outperformed the two benchmark methods. As a result, the U-Net model with the Adadelta optimizer and 128x128x4 input data size was chosen due to its near-95 percent accuracy and 0.12 loss function value. The model was used to successfully detect location of the Vietnamese coffee ecosystem. The Net-Adadelta-128 model’s output is consistent with data from statistical reports, which estimated the area of the coffee land cover to be 684, 681, and 676 thousand hectares in 2019, 2020, and 2021, respectively. The best U-Net model, which takes approximately 30 minutes to create a new classification for 55,000 square kilometres, may one day be used for coffee research and management.

Cuantificación de la fijación biológica del nitrógeno en árboles de sombra de dos cafetales de Cuba

In coffee agroecosystems, it is of much importance to maintain appropriate levels of nitrogen to guarantee stable and sustainable productions. In this agriculture type, it is fundamental to consider the insert of shade species that carry out the Biological Fixation of the Nitrogen like natural form of incorporating this element to the soil. In that sense, it was carried out an experiment in two coffee areas ( Coffea canephora var. Robusta) of the East of Cuba, in Sagua-Nipe-Baracoa and Sierra Maestra mountains, with the objective of quantifying the production of dry biomass and content of two leguminous used as shade trees ( Samanea saman and Gliricidia sepium ) and starting, from those determinations, to estimate the nitrogen biological fixation by the total N difference method. The dry mass and N content quantified in the shade trees were superior to the valued in the coffee, due to the different behavior among the species in study, coffee dry mass oscillated between 1.23 and 1.75 t ha -1 and the shade trees between 2 and 3 t ha -1 . The contents of foliate N of the shade species oscillated among 25-40 kg ha -1 and the coffee presented foliar concentrations of the element in appropriate ranges. The arboreal species present BFN between 20 and 55 %, that which transforms them into an important source for the contribution and recycling of the nitrogen inside the coffee ecosystems.

The Unexplored Socio-Cultural Benefits of Coffee Plants: Implications for the Sustainable Management of Ethiopia’s Coffee Forests

Coffee is among the most popular commodity crops around the globe and supports the livelihoods of millions of households along its value chain. Historically, the broader understanding of the roles of coffee has been limited to its commercial value, which largely is derived from coffee, the drink. This study, using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, explores some of the unrevealed socio-cultural services of coffee of which many people are not aware. The study was conducted in Gomma district, Jimma Zone, Oromia National Regional state, Ethiopia, where arabica coffee was first discovered in its natural habitat. Relying on a case study approach, our study uses ethnographic study methods whereby results are presented from the communities’ perspectives and the subsequent discussions with the communities on how the community perspectives could help to better manage coffee ecosystems. Coffee’s utilities and symbolic functions are numerous—food and drink, commodity crop, religious object, communication medium, heritage and inheritance. Most of the socio-cultural services are not widely known, and hence are not part of the benefits accounting of coffee systems. Understanding and including such socio-cultural benefits into the wider benefits of coffee systems could help in promoting improved management of the Ethiopian coffee forests that are the natural gene pools of this highly valuable crop.

Isolation and identification of a native microbial consortium for the coffee pulp degradation above 2000 masl

Pulp and mucilage constitute the most abundant by-products of the processing of coffee and inadequate handling produces high-rates of pollution. Considering that in nature there is a large number of cellulolytic microorganisms which can intervene in the degradation of coffee pulp, the inclusion of a native microbial cellulolytic consortium was assessed. The sample for insulation consisted of coffee pulp and soil from a humid forest at more than 2,000 m.a.s.l. Nutrient agar was used as a means of insulation for bacteria, and malt agar for fungi, supplemented with 50% soil extract and 1% carboxylmethylcellulose. This achieved the isolation of 118 strains of bacteria and 114 of fungi. Cellulolytic activity was established using the filter paper test, assessing and selecting only those that presented higher glucose production, among them 12 strains of fungi and 11 strains of bacteria. To attain the microbial consortium, randomized blends were performed for both fungi and bacteria, again assessing the production of glucose. The bacterial consortium was made up of Ochrobactrum pseudogrignonense, Paenibacillus lauruscon and Bacillus xiamenensis and the fungal consortium by Fusarium sp., Penicillum sp., Cylindrocarpon sp. The optimal treatment achieved a complete degradation of the pulp in 28 days, that would contribute to the recovery and conservation of the coffee ecosystem. Main interpretation was wet environment at more 2,000 m.a.s.l. is still good for coffee compost but different bacterial and fungi consortium were found supporting other recent work done with one type of consortium. Key words: Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC); Cellulose; Coffee pulp; Degradation; Microbial consortium; Meters above sea level (masl).

The Effect of Shade Trees in the Coffee Ecosystem to the Population and Diurnal Activity of Insect Pollinators

Insect pollinators is one of the important factors in the cross-pollination of coffee flowers, which affects the coffee fruit set. However, there is still a limited understanding of how shade trees in the coffee ecosystem affect insect pollinators. The purpose of this study was to obtain information on the effect of climate variations at different shading levels in the coffee ecosystem to the population and diurnal activity of insect pollinators. The shade levels are categorized in three ways, namely high shade, low shade, and open shade. The observation was conducted at the time when the flower blooms with sample units a flower in two coffee branches. Insect pollinators that show feeding behavior in coffee flowers were recorded in the morning, while the diurnal activity of each species pollinator was observed in the morning, midday, and afternoon. The study showed five species of insects belonging to three families and two orders, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera that showed feeding behavior on coffee flowers. Apis cerana and Apis mellifera were the dominant pollinators of coffee flowers. The difference in shade levels did not affect pollinator species to visit coffee flowers, but their population tends to decrease in the open shade, except Apis cerana. The peak of diurnal activity of insect pollinator recorded in the morning decreased at midday and showed an increase slightly in the afternoon until the end of the diurnal activity. An increase of temperature may significantly decrease the number of pollinators that visit coffee flowers, while humidity and light intensity showed no significant effect.

LIBERICA COFFEE FARMERS GROUP COMMUNICATION PATTERN FOR SUPPORT OF SUKOREJO ECOTOURISM

Tanjung Jabung Barat which is a peatland with the main commodity production of Liberica Coffee, the area is being developed by oil and gas companies and governments into ecotourism destinations. Ecotourism development is considered to be able to improve the walfare of the community and also maintain the conservation value of the coffee ecosystem. Liberica Coffee farmers are empowered to support ecotourism. This paper aims to describe about: (1) Interaction between Liberica Coofee farmers and their interactions with the stakeholders, (2) A one-way and two-way communication hierarchy between farmers and the stakeholders, and (3) the mapping of communication networks between liberica coffee farmers and the stakeholders. This study was conducted using qualitative methods with interviews and FGD were conducted with Liberica Coffee farmers, the company and the local government. The conclusion of this paper indicate that: (1) coffee farmers carry out intensive and long duration communication conducted at the coffee beans processing site. (2). Communication generally takes two directions so there is a tendency for farmers to take action and move together without waiting for orders, and (3) Communication is carried out by the leader of the farmer group with the stakeholders also carrried out intensively and patterned so that it can support the development of the ecotourism in “Sukorejo” Liberica Coffee Village in a realtively short period of time.

Proposed Techniques to Supplement the Loss in Nutrient Cycling for Replanted Coffee Plantations in Vietnam

Nutrient cycling of the coffee ecosystem is often characterized by nutrient losses during the harvest, tree’s growth, leaching and erosion. The “Coffee Rejuvenation Strategies in Vietnam” has risked not being complete on schedule, with the low survival rate of seedlings on replanted soil, due to the nutrient loss and imbalance supplements after a long-term of monoculture and intensive cultivation. In this study, measures, including biochemical and organic treatments were applied to replanted coffee farm, in order to supplement the loss of nutrient cycling. Survival rate, growth indicators, and soil properties from the controls and treatments, were monitored and compared during the experimental periods. The results suggested the optimal tillage model as follow: Remove old coffee trees with their stumps and roots; liming 1.5 tons/ha; dry tillage soil for the first 6 months; Intercrop Mexican marigold (Tagetes erecta) with new coffee plants for the next 6 months; From the second year, apply 5 kg of microbial organic fertilizer /hole/year; bury 30 kg of green manure/hole/2–3 years; apply NPK fertilizers according to the governmental recommended procedure. This would be a proposed integrating tillage method to supplement the lost nutrients and restore the fertility of replanted coffee soil in Vietnam.

The important role of coffee agroecosystem for rural development

Rural development based on local resources utilization has been promoted as a strategy to achieve people prosperity in Indonesia. Although many studies have found that resource-based strategy is no longer relevant nowadays, for many areas this is still considered an appropriate approach. In order to examine the significance, we conducted a study in Sumba Barat Daya District of East Nusa Tenggara, focussing on coffee as one of the most abundant products in the region. Utilizing a socio-ecological approach, we collected data and information to depict the dynamics of coffee-based activities. A detailed study in Kadi Roma Village of Sumba Barat Daya on coffee ecosystem contribution to local community revealed that despite traditionally managed, coffee plays a significant role socially and economically. As a source of income to almost 17,000 smallholder farmers in Sumba Barat Daya, it can be concluded that coffee can become a gateway to attain successful rural development program. It also provides various opportunities for the community to participate which requires supportive innovation ecosystem to be established systematically by relevant local institutions, including include local government.

Learning from social\u2013ecological crisis for legal resilience building: multi-scale dynamics in the coffee rust epidemic

A recent coffee leaf rust epidemic has generated a severe fall in Coffea arabica production throughout Mexico and Central America. This paper analyzes the social–ecological crisis presented by the Hemileia vastatrix outbreak, with a focus on how global, regional and national dynamics interact with local processes in the Chiapas Sierra Madre of south-eastern Mexico, a biodiversity hotspot with a tradition of smallholder, shade-grown coffee production. We explore the hypothesis that the current coffee rust epidemic is an expression of global environmental change, with implications for legal frameworks and international efforts towards risk management and climate change adaptation. Addressing debates on legal resilience building, we illustrate how mismatches of scale between social–ecological phenomena and legal and institutional arrangements may generate pathological solutions for small-scale coffee producers and shade-grown coffee ecosystems. Thereafter, using the analytical lens of modularity, the paper sheds light on landscape stewardship to reduce the risks of non-resilient characteristics such as isolation, on the one hand, and on the other, over-connectedness of habitat patches in the landscape of importance for ecosystem functions at larger scales. The interdisciplinary framework leads to recognizing the role of institutions and legal arrangements which are not limited to national boundaries in proposing solutions to this social–ecological crisis. We find that matching scales of law with agroforestry systems can be done through a variety of legal and policy instruments to contribute to resilience building. This matching of scales is vital to safeguarding biodiversity’s global benefits and the right of small-scale coffee farmers to a healthy and sustainable environment.

The effect of Crotalaria juncea plant in coffee ecosystem to the diversity and abundance of predators and parasitoids insects

Agro-ecosystem of coffee adopts monoculture system that are less favorable to the development of natural enemies. However, only few studies examined the role of natural enemies in the ecosystem. This study examined the effect of flowering plant, Crotalaria juncea in coffee ecosystem to enhance the diversity and abundance of natural enemies; especially insect predators and parasitoids. The diversity and abundance of insect predators and parasitoids, both in coffee ecosystem with C. juncea and without C. juncea as a control plot were recorded. The result showed that the population abundance of insect predators and parasitoid on plot with C. juncea was 2.20 individuals, higher than on control plot (1.50 individuals/per branch/2 minutes). The Predatory insects found, both in coffee flowers and Crotalaria flowers were Coccinellidae (Coleoptera), Vespidae (Hymenoptera), Mantidae (Orthoptera), Libellulidae (Odonata), Chrysopidae (Neuroptera) and Asilidae and Syrphidae (Diptera), while the parasitic insects were Ichneumonidae, Braconidae and Aphelinidae (Hymeniptera). The abundance of insect predators and parasitoids on the coffee flower may decrease (r = -0,366) by increasing the distance to C. juncea.

Diversity of hymenoptera in coffee in Tamil Nadu

A total of 2334 hymenopterans of 24 families under 14 superfamilies were collected in the coffee ecosystem at Horticultural Research Station, Thadiyankudisai, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu. The hymenopteran diversity comprised predominantly Ichneumonidae (14.7%) followed by Diapriidae (13.4%), Platygastridae (13.0%), Braconidae (12.0%) and Scelionidae (11.3%). Ceraphronidae, Eulophidae, Ampulicidae, Figitidae (0.7%) and Eupelmidae (0.6%) were observed to be the least in diversity.

Molecular characterisation of Trichoderma species using SRAP markers

Trichoderma are commonly used as bio control agents in various agro ecosystems. They are known to produce a variety of compounds that induce resistance responses in plants. Among different species of Trichoderma, T. harzianum, T. viride, T. koningii and T. hamatum are commercially used as bio control agents. In the present study, four commercially important species of Trichoderma isolated from coffee ecosystem were screened with sequence related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers. Among 48 SRAP primer pairs tested, 29 primers were polymorphic and generated 316 distinct scorable fragments. Out of 347 amplified fragments, 177 fragments were found polymorphic with an average of 6.10 fragments per primer combination. The average polymorphism information content (PIC) and resolving power (Rp) of the 29 polymorphic SRAP primer pair were 0.42 and 14.62, respectively. The UPGMA dendrogram clearly divided Trichoderma species into two broad clusters. The highest homology (83.0%) was observed between T. viride and T. Harzianum and the lowest homology (74.0%) was observed between T. Harzianum and T. konangii. Further, among 29 polymorphic SRAP markers screened, four primer pairs (ME1-EM3, ME1-EM20, ME1-EM22 and ME2-EM4) produced unique fragments specific to each species. These markers can be useful in easy and rapid identification of the species.