Evaluation of Coffee (Coffea arabica L.) on Raw and Cup Quality Aspect Under the Canopy of Cordia africana and Erythrina Abyssinica Shade Trees Effect in Arsi Golelcha District, Ethiopia

Abstract

Coffee is shade tolerant and traditionally grown under shade trees in complex agroforestry systems, thereby providing production quality, a safe haven for biodiversity and sustaining other ecosystem services. Ecological and economical significance of coffee production with shade has an advantage for universal entry as a good opportunity to improve sustainable development through natural conservation and financial target. Coffee plantation with shade trees is important to improve raw and cup coffee quality which is based on sensory attributes that were evaluated by descriptive sensory analysis of free choice. The study was conducted on farmers’ fields in Golelcha district of East Arsi Zone, Ethiopia. The study was intended to evaluate the influence of coffee shade (under the canopy of Erythrina abyssinica and Cordia africana trees) on raw and cup quality of coffee (Coffea arabica L.) and to get best coffee shade trees and appropriate distance of coffee seedling plantation area in which away from shade tree trunks. Randomized complete block design on three farmers’ fields as a replication in each PAs were used for data collection. A total of 48 circular samples were taken for treatments’ parameters, under both coffee shade tree species at the distance of 1m, 3m, 6 m and 25m away from shade tree trunk including unshaded zone. The two widely grown indigenous coffee shade trees in the area were Cordia africana and Erythrina abyssinica. Even though farmers’ preference focused on Cordia africana tree based on its utility, the best results were recorded under Erythrina abyssinica shade tree. The outcome had a significant value at (p<0.05) and highly significance value at (p<0.01) between and within the treatments. Statistically significant comparison differences were observed between shaded and unshaded as well as within shaded effect based on the parameters across PAs. Integration of shade in coffee farming system created creditable promising in producing of quality of organic coffee. Coffee Shade utility was also adopted as ecologically sustainable, economically viable and socially acceptable practice. The second distance layer (3m) away from shade tree trunks illustrated the highest mean value across PAs in most parameters. Almost all the given coffee parameters’ value increased significantly under the tree canopy than in the open area in both PAs showing decreasing trend with increasing distance from the tree trunk. Average result of both PAs' coffee parameters; the greater value of screen size of coffee beans; 9.1% and 7.7%, shape and make of beans; 1.08 and 1.085, aromatic intensity; 0.47 and 0.035, aromatic quality; 0.38 and 0.33, acidity; 0.5 and 0.5 and body of coffee beans; 0.53 and 0.57 than open areas were detected under the canopies of Cordia africana and Erythrina abyssinica shade trees, respectively. The best shade tree was Erythrina abyssinica and the recommended distance of coffee seedling plantation area away from shade tree trunk was 3m. Generally, the vital signal of the treatment’s means difference were indicated between shaded and unshaded rather than within shaded means variation at most treatments’ parameters.

Keywords: Coffee-based agroforestry system, Coffee shade value and Coffee quality attribution.