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robusta coffee

Coffea canephora Pierre ex A.Froehner

Family: Rubiaceae · Genus: Coffea

conilon coffee

Secondary I Medium No biomass production 🪓 Coppices after cutting
Ksd5 · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Distinct coffee species from arabica — more vigorous, adapted to lowland (0–800 m) and hot climate (22–26°C). Brazil's dominant species in Espírito Santo (Conilon) and Rondônia (Robusta). Height 2–5 m, taller than arabica. Higher drought and rust tolerance. Cup is more bitter and caffeine ~2x higher. Accepts full sun in syntropic systems; pairs well with bananas and N-fixing legumes.

📚 Synonyms

Scientific synonyms: Coffea robusta L.Linden

Götsch succession

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

Environment

Light requirement
Full sun
Water requirement
Moderate
Drought tolerance
High
Waterlogging tolerance
None
Soil pH range
4.5–6.5
Preferred soil texture
Loamy, Clayey, Sandy
Hardiness zones
10–13

Morphology

Mature height
2–5 m
Recommended spacing
2–3 m
Root system
Fibrous
Root depth
Medium
Growth rate
Fast
Lifespan
15–30 years
Time to first harvest
30 months
Productive lifespan
20 years

Biomes & climate

Köppen classes

Where it fits in a guild

Robusta coffee takes the Medium 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 · ≈5 m Low Ground cover

🪴 Cultivation

Typical spacing 3×1 m to 3×2 m in monoculture; 3×3 m in syntropic rows. Responds well to irrigation and drastic coppicing. Ideal rainfall 1,500–1,800 mm/year.

✂️ Management & Pruning

Tolerates full renewal pruning — coppices vigorously from the base.

📅 Phenology

Flowering months: August, September, October, November

Fruiting months: March, April, May, June, July

❓ Frequently asked questions

How long until the first harvest of robusta coffee?

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

What spacing is recommended for robusta coffee?

The recommended spacing for robusta coffee is 2–3 m.

How tall does robusta coffee grow?

At maturity, robusta coffee reaches 2–5 m tall.

When does robusta coffee fruit?

Fruiting of robusta coffee occurs in March, April, May, June, July.

When does robusta coffee flower?

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

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

In a syntropic system, robusta coffee belongs to the secondary i stage, occupying the medium stratum.

Functions

🍎 Fruit 🍯 Melliferous

Propagation

Seed, Cutting, Tissue culture

Citations

  1. Embrapa Café — Sistema de Produção do Cafeeiro Conilon (Coffea canephora) (height_min_m, height_max_m, spacing_min_m, koppen_classes)
  2. Embrapa Rondônia — Cultivo dos Cafeeiros Conilon e Robusta para Rondônia (water_need, drought_tolerance)
  3. Plants For A Future (PFAF) — Coffea (genus care requirements) (waterlogging_tolerance)
  4. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Coffea canephora Pierre ex A.Froehner (external_ids)
  5. Wikidata — Coffea canephora (Q47532) (external_ids, synonyms)

External references

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