INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT LINK LINE
BUSIISI DIVISION-KIDUUMA WARD
HOIMA– UGANDA
IDELL COFFEE MANUAL
OMULIMI WO’ MWAANI
EKIRO/ DATE: SATURDAY 25. 04. 2015
EKICWEKA/ VENUE: KIDUUMA BCS PRIMARY SCH.
ESAAHA: 2:00PM (MUNNANA EZA RWEBAAGYO)
Compiled: BY MANAGEMENT O778989276
Coffee is Uganda's top-earning export crop. In 1989 Uganda's coffee production capacity exceeded its quota of 2.3 million bags, but export volumes were still diminished by economic and security problems, and large amounts of coffee were still being smuggled out of Uganda for sale in neighboring countries.
Time of Planting
In Mbale the planting season for Arabica coffee is between March and April and harvesting is between August and November. The coffee trees are pruned from December to February before the planting season. The trees flower during the dry season.
PLANTING
Planting coffee is not an overnight wonder; it takes adequate preparations. The coffee seedlings should be planted at the onset of the rainy season into holes, two feet by two feet large and at least 45-60cm deep. They (holes) should be dug three months prior to planting.
Spacing
Ideally, Deus Nuwagaba, production officer at National Union of Coffee Agribusinesses and Farm Enterprises (NUCAFE), a body that brings together coffee farmers across the country, says the holes should be filled with topsoil mixed with one bucket/basin of well-prepared manure or compost before planting.
He adds that in addition to a small shade around each young plant that protects it from drought stress, ring mulching keeps the soil around the trees moist.
According to coffee planting guidelines, the spacing defer according the variety, that is, for Arabica, spacing can be 2.5 metres x 2.5 metres while for Robusta, 3 metres x 3 metres is ideal.
Seedlings
Notably, Uganda is the birth place of Robusta and its growing is highly encouraged.
This means an acre of Robusta will accommodate about 1,000 coffee trees. Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) recommends farmers to buy seedlings from certified nursery operators.
A seedling normally sells from Shs300-Shs500. As coffee grows, the costs tend to come down but what is crucial in initial stages is to keep the plantation weed free through mulching and other mechanisms like weeding. Coffee starts full production after three years.
Shade trees and intercropping
Given the apparent effects of weather changes, it is recommended to plant shade trees in coffee farms at appropriate spacing and intercrop it with bananas.
Some of the shade trees recommended are nitrogen fixing and enhance the fertility of the soil in addition to protecting it from soil erosion. Shade trees and bananas help protect coffee from drought.
Common tree species that can be used as shade trees in both Arabica and Robusta coffee systems include Grevelia robusta, Ficus natalensis, Albizia coriaria. Fruit trees such as mango, avocado or jackfruit can also be included at intervals.
Other recommended steps
Step 1
Select a growing site that has good, rich soil that is deep and well drained because the coffee tree has a taproot that extends far into the ground. If your soil is hard, break it up and amend it with compost by digging one 2-gal. Bucketful into each planting hole.
Step 2
Clear the planting area by cutting all weeds and small trees that might be in the way. You can leave larger trees. Plan ahead---it's wise to plant a cover crop of fava beans, vetch or other "green manure" several months before you plant your coffee.
Step 3
Dig holes for your young plants two months before you plant them. Make your holes about 20-inches wide and 20-inches deep.
Step 6
Cover the soil surface with mulch to prevent it from eroding due to rain. Another trick that coffee growers use is to plant a cover crop of legumes throughout the planting area, leaving the area immediately surrounding the planting holes open for the coffee trees.
Step 7
Remove the lower leaves from each of your coffee seedlings. Carefully remove them from the flat using a trowel or weeding tool and discard any weak or diseased plants.
Step 8
Fill in your planting holes with the soil you dug out a few days before you plant. Make one small hole in each planting area. Plant 6- to 7-month-o ld seedlings during your rainy season on a cloudy day. Do not twist the taproot when you place your small trees in their holes. Leave the plant's crown above the soil surface and then pack the soil around the plant's base. Protect newly planted coffee trees from sun for the first few days---tropical growers simply prop up a palm frond for this.
Post Harvesting
The farmer then has two options for drying his coffee beans. Either he dries them under the sun until they reach the required moisture content or pays to have them dried at a coffee factory. The remaining process involves removing the coffee husks, sorting of the different coffee bean sizes, Roasting, Grinding and packaging.
Returns
Considering 450 coffee trees of Robusta in an acre, a farmer can harvest about 2,700 kgs per season and 5,400 kgs in a year, taking the average of six kilos per tree under average management.
Improved Agricultural Methods
2.1 Planting
Throughout the coffee producing areas in Uganda, a vast number of coffee trees have been lost mainly as a result of Coffee Wilt disease but also due to mismanagement and neglect. It is estimated that about 100 million trees have died since 1993. It is therefore important for farmers to plant new trees to recuperate the lost production.
When deciding to plant seedlings or clonal cuttings, farmers should ensure that the planting material originates from registered and approved nurseries.
The planting holes should be dug about 3 months before planting and filled with a mix of soil and manure. Planting will then be carried out just at the onset of the rainy season.
This seedling was planted under a shade tree
to protect it from the hot sun. The mulch around it will keep the soil moist
2.2 Weeding
Weeds compete with coffee for nutrients and water especially during the dry season and therefore farms should be kept weed free. Weed control can be done physically through slashing and digging or chemically using a herbicide. Mulching is also very effective because the mulching material helps suppress weed growth.
2.3 Pruning
Coffee pruning is one of the most critical factors for good production. Its contribution to total yield has been rated at about 30%. It is a vital agricultural practice that rejuvenates the plant through the removal of unproductive wood and through the promotion of new suckers which will develop into new stems.
It is important to limit the number of stems on each tree to a maximum of 3-4 because a higher number will result in lower productivity due to increased competition for nutrients. De-suckering should be carried out several times a year whereby well positioned suckers are promoted and the rest are eliminated. It is also important to remove most of the inside primaries to encourage the stems to lean out in order to let light in for the development of the new suckers. When production on the bearing branches at the top of the stems is no longer significant, it becomes necessary to prune the tree and to remove the unproductive stems.
Pruning should be carried out at the end of the main crop after the harvest, at which point the tree is exhausted having carried a crop for 9 month. A pruning saw is the most effective tool to use for pruning and as it leaves a “clean cut” and allows the plant to recuperate 30% faster than if pruning was carried out with a panga.
Properly positioned suckers are promoted A pruning saw is the best tool for pruning
Good pruning – 4 productive stems Bad pruning – many unproductive stems
The removal of the inside primaries causes the stems to lean out. This allows light to reach the suckers
2.4 Mulching
Mulching is a practice by which the soil is covered with vegetative material. Any dry grass or crop residue including banana leaves and stems can be material. Mulching is very beneficial for the coffee trees because it:
• Preserves moisture in the soil during the dry months
used as mulching
• Slows down runoff, improves rainwater penetration and reduces soil erosion
• Suppresses weed growth
• Nutrients are returned to the soil when the mulch decomposes
It is important that the mulching material does not touch the trunk possibility of infections and rotting.
The best time for mulching is at the beginning of the rainy season.
A properly mulched field
of the tree to avoid any
2.5 Erosion Control and Rainwater Harvesting
Water is the most critical element for the survival of coffee and therefore farmers should carry out any techniques that will maximize the availability of water to their coffee trees.
Whenever the land is sloping and water flows over the field, the farmer has to put measures in place to reduce or stop runoff. Apart from protecting the top soil from being washed away, holding rainwater on the land is also very beneficial because the more water that infiltrates into the soil, the longer the soil will stay moist during the dry periods. The benefits of water harvesting are of course enhanced if the field is also mulched. Various soil conservation measures can be adopted to reduce runoff such as digging trenches and growing bands of grasses across the slope.
If proper rain water harvesting techniques are in place, most of the water requirements of the coffee trees will be met and they will also be protected during dry periods.
When cultivating on slopes, the farmers have to ensure to plant across the slope (along contours). This will slow down any runoff and protect the land against erosion. Terracing is a very effective cultivation technique to hold water on the land.
A trench is dug to stop runoff and to collect water A water channel collects rain water directs it into the fie
BUSIISI DIVISION-KIDUUMA WARD
HOIMA– UGANDA
IDELL COFFEE MANUAL
OMULIMI WO’ MWAANI
EKIRO/ DATE: SATURDAY 25. 04. 2015
EKICWEKA/ VENUE: KIDUUMA BCS PRIMARY SCH.
ESAAHA: 2:00PM (MUNNANA EZA RWEBAAGYO)
Compiled: BY MANAGEMENT O778989276
Coffee is Uganda's top-earning export crop. In 1989 Uganda's coffee production capacity exceeded its quota of 2.3 million bags, but export volumes were still diminished by economic and security problems, and large amounts of coffee were still being smuggled out of Uganda for sale in neighboring countries.
Time of Planting
In Mbale the planting season for Arabica coffee is between March and April and harvesting is between August and November. The coffee trees are pruned from December to February before the planting season. The trees flower during the dry season.
PLANTING
Planting coffee is not an overnight wonder; it takes adequate preparations. The coffee seedlings should be planted at the onset of the rainy season into holes, two feet by two feet large and at least 45-60cm deep. They (holes) should be dug three months prior to planting.
Spacing
Ideally, Deus Nuwagaba, production officer at National Union of Coffee Agribusinesses and Farm Enterprises (NUCAFE), a body that brings together coffee farmers across the country, says the holes should be filled with topsoil mixed with one bucket/basin of well-prepared manure or compost before planting.
He adds that in addition to a small shade around each young plant that protects it from drought stress, ring mulching keeps the soil around the trees moist.
According to coffee planting guidelines, the spacing defer according the variety, that is, for Arabica, spacing can be 2.5 metres x 2.5 metres while for Robusta, 3 metres x 3 metres is ideal.
Seedlings
Notably, Uganda is the birth place of Robusta and its growing is highly encouraged.
This means an acre of Robusta will accommodate about 1,000 coffee trees. Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) recommends farmers to buy seedlings from certified nursery operators.
A seedling normally sells from Shs300-Shs500. As coffee grows, the costs tend to come down but what is crucial in initial stages is to keep the plantation weed free through mulching and other mechanisms like weeding. Coffee starts full production after three years.
Shade trees and intercropping
Given the apparent effects of weather changes, it is recommended to plant shade trees in coffee farms at appropriate spacing and intercrop it with bananas.
Some of the shade trees recommended are nitrogen fixing and enhance the fertility of the soil in addition to protecting it from soil erosion. Shade trees and bananas help protect coffee from drought.
Common tree species that can be used as shade trees in both Arabica and Robusta coffee systems include Grevelia robusta, Ficus natalensis, Albizia coriaria. Fruit trees such as mango, avocado or jackfruit can also be included at intervals.
Other recommended steps
Step 1
Select a growing site that has good, rich soil that is deep and well drained because the coffee tree has a taproot that extends far into the ground. If your soil is hard, break it up and amend it with compost by digging one 2-gal. Bucketful into each planting hole.
Step 2
Clear the planting area by cutting all weeds and small trees that might be in the way. You can leave larger trees. Plan ahead---it's wise to plant a cover crop of fava beans, vetch or other "green manure" several months before you plant your coffee.
Step 3
Dig holes for your young plants two months before you plant them. Make your holes about 20-inches wide and 20-inches deep.
Step 6
Cover the soil surface with mulch to prevent it from eroding due to rain. Another trick that coffee growers use is to plant a cover crop of legumes throughout the planting area, leaving the area immediately surrounding the planting holes open for the coffee trees.
Step 7
Remove the lower leaves from each of your coffee seedlings. Carefully remove them from the flat using a trowel or weeding tool and discard any weak or diseased plants.
Step 8
Fill in your planting holes with the soil you dug out a few days before you plant. Make one small hole in each planting area. Plant 6- to 7-month-o ld seedlings during your rainy season on a cloudy day. Do not twist the taproot when you place your small trees in their holes. Leave the plant's crown above the soil surface and then pack the soil around the plant's base. Protect newly planted coffee trees from sun for the first few days---tropical growers simply prop up a palm frond for this.
Post Harvesting
The farmer then has two options for drying his coffee beans. Either he dries them under the sun until they reach the required moisture content or pays to have them dried at a coffee factory. The remaining process involves removing the coffee husks, sorting of the different coffee bean sizes, Roasting, Grinding and packaging.
Returns
Considering 450 coffee trees of Robusta in an acre, a farmer can harvest about 2,700 kgs per season and 5,400 kgs in a year, taking the average of six kilos per tree under average management.
Improved Agricultural Methods
2.1 Planting
Throughout the coffee producing areas in Uganda, a vast number of coffee trees have been lost mainly as a result of Coffee Wilt disease but also due to mismanagement and neglect. It is estimated that about 100 million trees have died since 1993. It is therefore important for farmers to plant new trees to recuperate the lost production.
When deciding to plant seedlings or clonal cuttings, farmers should ensure that the planting material originates from registered and approved nurseries.
The planting holes should be dug about 3 months before planting and filled with a mix of soil and manure. Planting will then be carried out just at the onset of the rainy season.
This seedling was planted under a shade tree
to protect it from the hot sun. The mulch around it will keep the soil moist
2.2 Weeding
Weeds compete with coffee for nutrients and water especially during the dry season and therefore farms should be kept weed free. Weed control can be done physically through slashing and digging or chemically using a herbicide. Mulching is also very effective because the mulching material helps suppress weed growth.
2.3 Pruning
Coffee pruning is one of the most critical factors for good production. Its contribution to total yield has been rated at about 30%. It is a vital agricultural practice that rejuvenates the plant through the removal of unproductive wood and through the promotion of new suckers which will develop into new stems.
It is important to limit the number of stems on each tree to a maximum of 3-4 because a higher number will result in lower productivity due to increased competition for nutrients. De-suckering should be carried out several times a year whereby well positioned suckers are promoted and the rest are eliminated. It is also important to remove most of the inside primaries to encourage the stems to lean out in order to let light in for the development of the new suckers. When production on the bearing branches at the top of the stems is no longer significant, it becomes necessary to prune the tree and to remove the unproductive stems.
Pruning should be carried out at the end of the main crop after the harvest, at which point the tree is exhausted having carried a crop for 9 month. A pruning saw is the most effective tool to use for pruning and as it leaves a “clean cut” and allows the plant to recuperate 30% faster than if pruning was carried out with a panga.
Properly positioned suckers are promoted A pruning saw is the best tool for pruning
Good pruning – 4 productive stems Bad pruning – many unproductive stems
The removal of the inside primaries causes the stems to lean out. This allows light to reach the suckers
2.4 Mulching
Mulching is a practice by which the soil is covered with vegetative material. Any dry grass or crop residue including banana leaves and stems can be material. Mulching is very beneficial for the coffee trees because it:
• Preserves moisture in the soil during the dry months
used as mulching
• Slows down runoff, improves rainwater penetration and reduces soil erosion
• Suppresses weed growth
• Nutrients are returned to the soil when the mulch decomposes
It is important that the mulching material does not touch the trunk possibility of infections and rotting.
The best time for mulching is at the beginning of the rainy season.
A properly mulched field
of the tree to avoid any
2.5 Erosion Control and Rainwater Harvesting
Water is the most critical element for the survival of coffee and therefore farmers should carry out any techniques that will maximize the availability of water to their coffee trees.
Whenever the land is sloping and water flows over the field, the farmer has to put measures in place to reduce or stop runoff. Apart from protecting the top soil from being washed away, holding rainwater on the land is also very beneficial because the more water that infiltrates into the soil, the longer the soil will stay moist during the dry periods. The benefits of water harvesting are of course enhanced if the field is also mulched. Various soil conservation measures can be adopted to reduce runoff such as digging trenches and growing bands of grasses across the slope.
If proper rain water harvesting techniques are in place, most of the water requirements of the coffee trees will be met and they will also be protected during dry periods.
When cultivating on slopes, the farmers have to ensure to plant across the slope (along contours). This will slow down any runoff and protect the land against erosion. Terracing is a very effective cultivation technique to hold water on the land.
A trench is dug to stop runoff and to collect water A water channel collects rain water directs it into the fie
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