Coffee cultivars developed by the Agronomic Institute – IAC are present in crops in Brazil and around the world

Created in 1887 with the aim of technically assisting the development of national coffee farming, the Agronomic Institute – IAC has the Coffee Program, currently coordinated by the "Alcides Carvalho" Coffee Center and supported by other Research Centers of the IAC itself and other institutes research team at the São Paulo Agribusiness Technology Agency - APTA. A pioneer in coffee research in Brazil, this Program began in 1932 and was responsible for the development of 67 Arabica coffee cultivars, which have occupied a large part of crops in Brazil and around the world for several decades.

The aforementioned IAC Coffee Program has 11 distinct lines of research, but which complement each other, and work on the continuous development of new cultivars that contain special characteristics and also new positive attributes, such as: good productivity, adaptability to different producing regions, resistance to pests and diseases, in addition to being drought tolerant, low in caffeine and, obviously, producing excellent quality drinks.

Additionally, research into post-harvest processes, afforestation, tissue culture, regional development and good agricultural practices complete the IAC Coffee Program, in the sense that the cultivars launched by the Institute also meet the minimum requirements necessary for the development of a sustainable coffee farming.

It is also worth highlighting that the Agronomic Institute – IAC is one of the ten founding institutions of the Coffee Research Consortium, which was created in 1997 on the initiative of the (former) Ministry of Industry and Foreign Trade – MDIC and Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply – MAPA aiming to combine knowledge, material and financial resources and teams from research, teaching and rural extension institutions located in the main producing regions of the country, under the coordination of Embrapa Café.

In this context, in the coffee genetic improvement work developed by the IAC, the Institute advocates the development of high productivity and rustic materials, which adapt to the most diverse soil and climate conditions and stand out for characteristics capable of meeting the specific demands of the productive sector and , obviously, of the final consumer in the country and abroad. Therefore, for the purposes of this publication, the last four elite cultivars launched by IAC will be listed, and their main positive attributes, namely: IAC 125 RN, IAC Ouro Verde, IAC Catuaí SH3 and IAC Obatã 4739.

IAC 125 RN – The cultivar was named in honor of 125 years of coffee research at the Agronomic Institute. The plants are low and compact, with large, red fruits and early maturing, making them suitable for dense planting and more suitable for irrigated crops.

In coffee farming, the efficiency of chemical pesticides is satisfactory in controlling rust, but limited in the management of coffee phytonematodes, their use has a direct impact on the increase in the cost of producing the crop. Cultivars resistant to both biotic agents play an important role in reducing costs and consequently increasing competitiveness.

The IAC 125 RN cultivar, developed by the Agronomic Institute, is resistant to all races of coffee rust, currently present in Brazil, as well as to races 1 and 2 of the nematode. M. exigua and race 1 of M. unexplained. These characteristics have a direct impact on reducing production costs and protecting people and the environment.

IAC Ouro Verde  – Cultivar registered in December 2012, its name alludes to the representation of coffee in Brazilian agribusiness. The plants are low in size, with red fruits with medium to late maturity. IAC Ouro Verde has better vigor than the Catuaí Vermelho cultivar, one of the most planted in Brazil. Despite being susceptible to rust, it has excellent drink quality.

This cultivar has a low size and compact canopy architecture, which allows cultivation in a dense system, with a direct impact on productivity and reducing the cost of producing the crop, especially due to better harvesting efficiency. The excellent sensorial quality of the coffee produced by the IAC Ouro Verde cultivar also allows for greater added value to the final product.

IAC Catuai SH3 – In addition to good productivity, resistance to leaf rust and tolerance to cercosporiosis and halo spot, caused by the bacteria Pseudomonas syringae pv. Garcae This cultivar has less water requirement, which allows it to be grown in warmer regions or where the presence of summer weather is more frequent. As it is resistant to all races of rust detected in Brazil, it does not require the use of fungicides, which reduces crop production costs, as well as environmental impacts.

IAC Obatã 4739 – Cultivar with potential for reducing production costs, as, in addition to being resistant to various races of rust, it has a low size, being especially suitable for dense plantings or in rows (2,00 - 2,80 mx 0,50 – 0,70 .XNUMX m), thus meeting the most modern trends in Brazilian coffee growing. The seeds of this cultivar are larger than those of the Catuaí Vermelho and Catuaí Amarelo cultivars, and have shown excellent production, as long as technical cultivation recommendations are followed. It is a cultivar highly responsive to irrigation.