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Plants

catuaí coffee

Coffea arabica L.

Family: Rubiaceae · Genus: Coffea

red catuaí, yellow catuaí

Secondary I Low No biomass production 🪓 Coppices after cutting
Forest and Kim Starr · CC BY · iNaturalist

Caturra × Mundo Novo hybrid developed by IAC. Compact dwarf architecture (1.8–2.5 m) — eases harvest and dense planting. Dominant cultivar in Brazil alongside Mundo Novo. Rustic, moderate vigor, intermediate ripening. The most practical low-stratum option in syntropic systems between bananas and legumes.

📚 Synonyms

Scientific synonyms: Coffea arabica 'Catuaí'

Götsch succession

Götsch stage
Secondary I
Ecological role
Late secondary
Primary stratum
Low
Strata
Low, Medium
Biomass class
No biomass production

Environment

Light requirement
Partial shade
Water requirement
Moderate
Drought tolerance
Moderate
Waterlogging tolerance
None
Soil pH range
5–6.5
Preferred soil texture
Loamy
Hardiness zones
10–12
Frost tolerance
0.0 °C

Morphology

Mature height
1.8–2.5 m
Recommended spacing
1.5–3 m
Root system
Taproot
Root depth
Medium
Growth rate
Moderate
Lifespan
20–35 years
Time to first harvest
30 months
Productive lifespan
25 years

Biomes & climate

Köppen classes

Where it fits in a guild

Catuaí coffee takes the Low stratum in the Secondary I phase of succession — in a guild it shares the line with species from the other strata, each harvesting light at its own height, in its own time.

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Emergent High Medium Low · ≈3 m Ground cover

🪴 Cultivation

Spacing 2.5×1 m to 3×1 m for dense planting; 3×2 m in syntropic rows. Tolerates renewal pruning every 8–10 years.

✂️ Management & Pruning

A dwarf cultivar; tolerates light annual pruning well and renewal stumping/skeletonising every 8–10 years, resprouting vigorously from the base.

📅 Phenology

Flowering months: August, September, October, November

Fruiting months: May, June, July, August

❓ Frequently asked questions

How long until the first harvest of catuaí coffee?

The first harvest of catuaí coffee comes around 30 months after planting.

What spacing is recommended for catuaí coffee?

The recommended spacing for catuaí coffee is 1.5–3 m.

How tall does catuaí coffee grow?

At maturity, catuaí coffee reaches 1.8–2.5 m tall.

When does catuaí coffee fruit?

Fruiting of catuaí coffee occurs in May, June, July, August.

When does catuaí coffee flower?

Flowering of catuaí coffee occurs in August, September, October, November.

What stage and stratum does catuaí coffee occupy in a syntropic system?

In a syntropic system, catuaí coffee belongs to the secondary i stage, occupying the low stratum.

Functions

🍎 Fruit 🍯 Melliferous

Propagation

Seed, Grafting

Citations

  1. Revista Cafeicultura — Origem e características das cultivares de café (height_min_m, height_max_m)
  2. SAPC Embrapa — Manual do Café: Implantação de cafezais (Coffea arabica L.) (spacing_min_m, spacing_max_m)
  3. Plants For A Future (PFAF) — Coffea arabica (ph_min, ph_max, waterlogging_tolerance, light_need)
  4. Androcioli Filho, A. & Caramori, P.H. (2000) — Influence of Coffee Pruning on the Severity of Frost Damage (Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology 43:1) (frost_tolerance_c, pruning_notes)
  5. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Coffea arabica L. (external_ids)
  6. Wikidata — Coffea arabica (Q47685) (external_ids)

External references

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