In North Queensland the recommended cultivars are;
- Catuai Rojo (red) or Catuai Amarillo (yellow) in warmer locations
Mundo Novo is a tall selection cultivar bringing higher yields for NSW growing conditions
- Mundo Novo, SL6, Kieperson Local or K7 in elevated cooler locations.
- The late maturing Catuai Rojo (red) and Catuai Amarillo (yellow) are recommended for the harsher northern growing areas of the Atherton Tablelands. They are semi-dwarf, late maturing, compact cultivars with good yield under varying soil and climatic conditions, and have good bean size. Both have been able to survive and grow in conditions much harsher than traditionally recommended for arabica coffee.Catuai Rojo also has good cupping quality while Catuai Amarillo is somewhat easier to harvest.
- Mundo Novo, SL6, Kieperson Local, and K7 are tall selections which have shown promise in the cooler growing areas of North Queensland. All have good bean size. Cupping quality of Mundo Novo has been mixed, but it has been one of the heaviest croppers and is a late maturing line.When planted under hotter conditions, growth of these selections is rapid, leading to the need for early and frequent pruning.
- In the volcanic soils at Walkamin on the Atherton Tablelands, Mundo Novo had a mean yield of 3500 kg green bean/ha over three years of trials. Catuai Amarillo also yielded over 3000 kg/ha.
- In the coastal Cairns location most semi-dwarf lines also yielded over 2500 kg/ha, with Catuai Amarillo yielding over 4000 kg/ha green bean. Yields of all lines were reduced in the harsher Mareeba environment. With the higher planting densities now recommended higher yields are possible.
- The Catimor lines now in vogue in many areas of the world because of their rust resistance are not recommended in North Queensland because of their early maturity time.
Note:
Maragogipe had a very large bean size, consistent with its reputation in the international trade. Although buyers have expressed interest, it is not recommended, as yields are low and plants difficult to establish.
In northern New South Wales the recommended cultivars are:
"Zeta's Coffee" located in northern NSW - Tweed hinterland region
Arusha, one of the earliest maturing cultivars in New South Wales, is a yielder of good-sized bean, but may encounter problems in harvesting the wet season extends later than normal.
K7 and SL14 are similar in agronomic yield and quality performance. They are mid-season maturing cultivars; 90% of their cherry matures in August and September when weather conditions are most favourable for harvesting and holding cherry on the tree in prime condition.
For protected warm sites with a high standard of management, SL34 has shown potential for both hand-picking and machine-harvesting. Although a heavy yielder, it has a large bean with high cupping quality, matures early to mid-season and may have potential as a specialist cultivar for a niche market.
The semi-dwarf cultivars have not shown potential in northern New South Wales because of slow growth, susceptibility to ant, scale and mealy infestation, and difficulty in harvesting the tight cherry clusters selectively. Yields and quality have been lower on these cultivars than the tall cultivars.
Source
David Peasley and Ted Winston
