Discovered new coffee species with black fruit

The new coffee species Coffea Stenophylla, which has the black rather than the red fruit characteristic of two widely cultivated coffee species, is seen in Ivory Coast.

The new coffee variety Coffea Stenophylla has been forgotten for decades and has just been rediscovered. Photo: Reuters. In the dense rainforests of Sierra Leone, scientists have rediscovered a new species of coffee that has not been seen in the wild for decades – a species they think could help secure the future. of valuable items but are being affected by climate change. On April 19, researchers announced that the new coffee species, Coffea stenophylla, was more resistant to temperatures than Arabica (56% of global production) and Robusta (43%). ). Stenophylla has been shown to taste superb, they added, to be similar to Arabica. Botanist Aaron Davis, who led the study, was published in the journal Nature Plants According to the report, the new species of coffee Stenophylla was grown in parts of West Africa and exported to Europe until the early 20th century, and then abandoned after Robusta coffee was popularized. Many farmers around the world coffee belt are experiencing the negative effects of climate change – a pressing concern for a multibillion-dollar industry. The taste of Arabica coffee is considered excellent and offers a higher price than Robusta, which is mainly used for the production of instant and blended coffee. But Arabica coffee is less resistant to climate change. Research has shown that its global output could decline by at least 50% by the middle of this century. Stenophylla grows at an average annual temperature of 24.9 degrees C – 1.9 degrees C higher than Robusta and up to 6.8 degrees C higher than Arabica, the researchers said. . The rediscovery of Stenophylla coffee could help in the “future proof” of the coffee industry that supports the economies of some tropical countries and provides livelihoods for more than 100 million farmers, Mr. Davis – coffee research team leader at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – said. “The idea is that Stenophylla can be used with minimal domestication, as a high value coffee for farmers in warmer climates,” he said. Stenophylla coffee provided us with an important resource for breeding a new generation of climate-resistant coffee trees, as it has excellent taste and high heat resistance. “If historical reports on the coffee’s resistance to rust (a fungus that ravaged coffee trees in Central and South America – PV) and the coffee plant’s drought tolerance is correct, then it is.” This means that it becomes even more useful to propagate the coffee plant, “Davis added. The study included taste assessments with 18 coffee tasters. Stenophylla has been found to have a complex flavor, with a natural sweetness, a medium high acidity, and a fruity taste when felt in the mouth. In December 2018, Davis and study co-author Jeremy Haggar of the University of Greenwich and coffee developer Daniel Sarmu looked for Stenophylla in nature. Initially, they discovered a single tree in central Sierra Leone. About 140 km (87 miles) southeast of Sierra Leone, they found a healthy population of Stenophylla. “Both sites are rainforest, but Stenophylla tends to appear on drier, more open areas: ridges, steep slopes and rocky areas,” Davis claims. Stenophylla has not been seen in the wild in Sierra Leone since 1954 and anywhere since the 1980s in Ivory Coast, he added. Stenophylla is threatened with extinction amid massive deforestation in three countries where it is known to grow wild: Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast, the study’s new study author wrote. Unlike the red and sometimes yellow fruit of Arabica and Robusta, the fruit of the Stenophylla tree is dark black. The coffee beans are inside the fruit. Jeremy Torz, co-founder of Union Hand-Ro Rang Coffee special coffee business in East London, where part of the flavor test took place, said: “I think we are extremely optimistic about the future Stenophylla can bring “.