Periodic Reporting for period 3 - BREEDCAFS (BREEDing Coffee for AgroForestry Systems)
Berichtszeitraum: 2020-06-01 bis 2021-09-30
The coffee plant is threatened by increasing temperatures and occurrences of drought periods. The BREEDCAFS project, completed in September 2021, addressed several objectives to remedy the situation (http://www.breedcafs.eu/). The main objective of the project was to allow the maintenance of coffee production under Climate change (CC). To achieve this goal, BREEDCAFS aimed at developing new hybrids adapted to cultivation under Agroforestry Systems (AFS). The project examined whether new F1 hybrids resulting from crosses between Ethiopian and Latin American varieties showed improved performance to less favourable climates.
The accumulation of biotic and abiotic stresses will cause yield losses and therefore less income for producers and supply difficulties for the industry, which will be reflected in higher consumer prices. A major objective of BREEDCAFS was to understand the responses of coffee plants to stresses and to measure differences in responses between genotypes, addressing the following overall research question: Is it possible to select coffee varieties that are tolerant to excess heat, drought, less light in agroforestry conditions, etc.?
Data management is an important aspect in biological research. Therefore, the integration and analysis of phenotypic and molecular data via the development of an interactive bioinformatics platform to assist coffee breeding was one of the main objectives pursued in BREEDCAFS. The project also aimed to assess the on-farm performance and the profitability of new varieties taking into account the opinion and priorities of the producers in Africa, Asia and Latin America. As it is crucial to provide local smallholder producers cultivating coffee in AFS with increased access to better performing varieties, another major objective of the project was to ensure a large-scale dissemination and accelerated adoption of hybrids by stakeholders of the coffee chain through establishment of on farm demo plots, technological transfers, dialog platforms and economic incentives. Therefore, a specific objective of project was to develop and promote a new organizational model to finance social and environmental innovations. Finally, an important objective was to identify pathways for enhancing future global governance mechanisms for genetic improvement of coffee.
As a conclusion, BREEDCAFS results are of two kinds: selection of hybrid varieties of Arabica coffee adapted to shade allows increased yield and makes it possible to compensate for the loss of productivity inherent in agroforestry cultivation, while increasing the sensorial quality of the coffee produced. In addition, the data, knowledge, and tools developed during the project provide an unprecedented foundation for coffee research.
The accumulation of biotic and abiotic stresses will cause yield losses and therefore less income for producers and supply difficulties for the industry, which will be reflected in higher consumer prices. A major objective of BREEDCAFS was to understand the responses of coffee plants to stresses and to measure differences in responses between genotypes, addressing the following overall research question: Is it possible to select coffee varieties that are tolerant to excess heat, drought, less light in agroforestry conditions, etc.?
Data management is an important aspect in biological research. Therefore, the integration and analysis of phenotypic and molecular data via the development of an interactive bioinformatics platform to assist coffee breeding was one of the main objectives pursued in BREEDCAFS. The project also aimed to assess the on-farm performance and the profitability of new varieties taking into account the opinion and priorities of the producers in Africa, Asia and Latin America. As it is crucial to provide local smallholder producers cultivating coffee in AFS with increased access to better performing varieties, another major objective of the project was to ensure a large-scale dissemination and accelerated adoption of hybrids by stakeholders of the coffee chain through establishment of on farm demo plots, technological transfers, dialog platforms and economic incentives. Therefore, a specific objective of project was to develop and promote a new organizational model to finance social and environmental innovations. Finally, an important objective was to identify pathways for enhancing future global governance mechanisms for genetic improvement of coffee.
As a conclusion, BREEDCAFS results are of two kinds: selection of hybrid varieties of Arabica coffee adapted to shade allows increased yield and makes it possible to compensate for the loss of productivity inherent in agroforestry cultivation, while increasing the sensorial quality of the coffee produced. In addition, the data, knowledge, and tools developed during the project provide an unprecedented foundation for coffee research.
Numerous trials were conducted to characterize coffee varieties under different types of stress (high temperatures, drought, shade, etc.) with studies under controlled conditions (greenhouses and climate chambers) and field settings in 6 countries. The database aggregated almost 750 000 records from all trials. In order to visualise the biochemical related records, updates have been made for the MapMan visualisation tool, especially concerning the metabolic reactions involved in the production of the main compounds responsible for the quality of coffee. On-farm assessments were realized in more than 100 farms. The promotion of Business Driven Agroforestry Clusters (Clusters) was evaluated with respect to social, environmental and economic dimensions. The need for a global governance of coffee genetic improvement and collaboration practices was highlighted by broad surveys of the main actors of the sector. Some major specific results are worth highlighting:
In contrast to many other species, under elevated CO2 and combined heat/drought interaction, Coffea cultivars reinforced their photochemical capability, capacity for repair of enzymes and dynamics of chloroplast lipid profiles. However, the enzyme involved in CO2 fixation, RuBisCO, appear to be the most stress sensitive component and may become limiting factors in a context of CC. These traits will demand a special attention by breeders. Flowering was proved to be the physiologic factor most affected by shade, which explains why plants under shade produce less. There is a genetic variability in that allows the selection of genotypes well adapted to shade. Some hybrids showed a strong capacity to adapt to shade and full sun. A genomic selection model for phenotype prediction was built for coffee taking into account shade adaptation.
We found that the mechanisms underlying the differences in aroma quality between genotypes are strongly dependent on the elevation. An enzyme (terpene synthase) responsible for some quality aspects is strongly over-expressed in some genotypes, but only in high altitude.
Using both genetic and biochemical data, we could built up models which were efficiently predicting the performance of the hybrids and we expect it will allow to speed-up the breeding of Arabica varieties adapted to shade.
In assessments conducted on-farm, F1 hybrids gave 29-61% higher yield than traditional coffee varieties. However, farmers considered that accessibility of varieties had to be improved, both in terms of purchase costs, better hybrid accessibility and in terms of knowledge on how to manage the new hybrids.
BREEDCAFS identified central actors act as brokers across actors in the global research collaboration on coffee genetic. BREEDCAFS recommends to further strengthen a multi-resource approach to create a label named Uni.C.Tree to promote the Clusters.
In contrast to many other species, under elevated CO2 and combined heat/drought interaction, Coffea cultivars reinforced their photochemical capability, capacity for repair of enzymes and dynamics of chloroplast lipid profiles. However, the enzyme involved in CO2 fixation, RuBisCO, appear to be the most stress sensitive component and may become limiting factors in a context of CC. These traits will demand a special attention by breeders. Flowering was proved to be the physiologic factor most affected by shade, which explains why plants under shade produce less. There is a genetic variability in that allows the selection of genotypes well adapted to shade. Some hybrids showed a strong capacity to adapt to shade and full sun. A genomic selection model for phenotype prediction was built for coffee taking into account shade adaptation.
We found that the mechanisms underlying the differences in aroma quality between genotypes are strongly dependent on the elevation. An enzyme (terpene synthase) responsible for some quality aspects is strongly over-expressed in some genotypes, but only in high altitude.
Using both genetic and biochemical data, we could built up models which were efficiently predicting the performance of the hybrids and we expect it will allow to speed-up the breeding of Arabica varieties adapted to shade.
In assessments conducted on-farm, F1 hybrids gave 29-61% higher yield than traditional coffee varieties. However, farmers considered that accessibility of varieties had to be improved, both in terms of purchase costs, better hybrid accessibility and in terms of knowledge on how to manage the new hybrids.
BREEDCAFS identified central actors act as brokers across actors in the global research collaboration on coffee genetic. BREEDCAFS recommends to further strengthen a multi-resource approach to create a label named Uni.C.Tree to promote the Clusters.
The large amount of data generated by various disciplines from experiments will contribute to an unprecedented overall understanding of coffee physiology under shade and/or abiotic stresses and will lead to new ways of performing coffee breeding. We now have a much better understanding of traits involved in optimal plant yield under AFS. This knowledge allowed us to provide tools and models to predict the best parental crosses. The datasets from the multiple analyses were compiled in a large database, which enables for each variety an in-depth analysis of the relationships between environment, vegetative growth, chemical compounds, NMR spectral profile and sensorial quality. Such a large database is totally new in the coffee sector. In parallel, the Mapman and Robina tools have been adapted to coffee to boost transcriptomic and metabolomic approaches. The availability of all these latest generation tools will change the way by which coffee research is approached.
The establishment of local modern nurseries, women nursery cooperatives and micropropagation laboratories allowed autonomy of partners for massive spread of F1 hybrids. After the success of the cluster established in Nicaragua, new pilot agroforestry clusters with F1 Arabica hybrids were established in Vietnam and Cameroon. The strategy put in place to accelerate the adoption of hybrid varieties was unique in that it was multidisciplinary and based on multiple pillars including on farm field demoplots, technology transfers of propagation technologies, dialog platforms, farmer surveys and AFS clusters.
For the first time, an online survey provided a picture of critical factors and opportunities for enhanced collaboration at the global level among actors involved in coffee genetics. Such approaches will help to allow for sustainable coffee production.
The establishment of local modern nurseries, women nursery cooperatives and micropropagation laboratories allowed autonomy of partners for massive spread of F1 hybrids. After the success of the cluster established in Nicaragua, new pilot agroforestry clusters with F1 Arabica hybrids were established in Vietnam and Cameroon. The strategy put in place to accelerate the adoption of hybrid varieties was unique in that it was multidisciplinary and based on multiple pillars including on farm field demoplots, technology transfers of propagation technologies, dialog platforms, farmer surveys and AFS clusters.
For the first time, an online survey provided a picture of critical factors and opportunities for enhanced collaboration at the global level among actors involved in coffee genetics. Such approaches will help to allow for sustainable coffee production.