Right time for Coffee
To maintain the full flavor and aroma of coffee, farmers should harvest the coffee berries when it is already ripe
A cup of steaming hot coffee is definitely a regular staple of most nationality’s breakfast — or anytime of the day for most people.
Behind the brew, however, are those farmers and coffee experts who continuously ensure the quality, taste and aroma of coffee beans.
To maintain the full flavor and aroma of coffee, farmers should harvest the coffee berries when it is already ripe.
But harvesting coffee berries is not a simple task.
Compared with other food commodities, the change in color of a coffee berry is not the only indicator of its ripeness.
A farmer should have to consider its fruit development and ripening, which do not happen at the same time.
If a coffee farm is not regularly monitored, a farmer will not know the best time to harvest the coffee berries.
Smart solution
Well, a smart solution to solve this problem has been explored by experts through the adoption of a technology dubbed “Program Smarter Approaches to Reinvigorate Agriculture as an Industry in the Philippines (SARAi)” which is funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DoST-PCAARRD) with the University of the PhilippinesLos Baños (UPLB) as the lead program implementer.
According to PCAARRD, a component project of the SARAi Program has been working on the phenology and management of coffee.
For years, the project team led by Dr. Calixto M. Protacio of the UPLB has been studying the reproductive phenology of the four species of coffee — Robusta, Excelsa, Arabica and Liberica.
Basically, phenology studies the stages of biological life cycle and how each stage is influenced by climate variations.
Based on the UPLB’s study, heat units were determined in each phenological stage of the coffee plant’s flowering and fruiting.
With the data gathered from the study and from the other data collected under Phase 1 of SARAi, the project team, together with experts from UPLB’s Institute of Computer Science, was able to develop a mobile app called Coffee Application Harvest Date Estimator or simply called CAPHE.
The developers said the mobile app determines the best time to harvest, based on the local temperature forecast.
Aside from the best harvest date, the app likewise includes scheduled farming practice advisories which are based on the stages of coffee fruit development.
While the CAPHE mobile app is currently under its field testing stage, and still unavailable for public download, it is being fine-tuned to include inputting of local temperature forecast of a particular location.
Throughout the years, we have witnessed the development of amazing innovations in the fine art of producing coffee beans, which now proves the need to have apps to aid in the process.
Once the app is ready and can be downloaded, it can be used anywhere even, without internet connectivity.
In the meantime, we can know more about the exciting technology by watching Project SARAi’s recent webinar on coffee and the new CAPHE mobile app through https:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=fXgCt4_v8zA or just visit its website – https:// sarai.ph/.