4d.Progress report.
This report serves to document research conducted under a reimbursable agreement between ARS-BARC and the World Agro-Forestry Center (ICRAF), with cooperation from CIRAD-France. Additional details of research can be found in the report for the parent project plan 0210-22310-002-00D, International Cooperative Programs. The objective of this cooperative research project is to identify quality markers in Coffea robusta genotypes in East Africa, based on genetic analyses combined with cup quality, chemical composition, and near infrared spectroscopy. Surveys have been performed in farms from twelve different coffee growing districts in Uganda. Studies have been undertaken in order to correlate the cup quality of these collected local C. canephora types, together with traditional N’ganda and Erect tree types, to their genetic background as revealed by molecular markers. Twenty five SSR markers were used to genotype 250 C. canephora trees. Controls from known genetic diversity groups of the same species were used. A sample of fruits from different farms was also analyzed through Near Infrared spectrophotometry (NIRS). Biochemical analysis (caffeine content), and organoleptic quality was assessed through sensory analysis. It is important to note that this project is connected with another one addressing coffee wilt disease in Uganda, where the P.I. has worked on DNA of wild origin, as well as the N’Ganda and Erect genotypes. In the present project ICRAF has worked on DNA from farms, and the hybrids between N’Ganda and Erect genotypes. The next step, after a separate analysis, will be to connect all these data. The results are to be presented at the 21st International Conference on Coffee Science, September 11th – 15th, 2006 in Montpellier, France, linking all the different sets of data and proposing a strategy for the improvement of Robusta coffee quality. Robusta coffee, produced by C. canephora, represents about 35% of the world coffee production. In East Africa, it is an important source of income for small farmers.