Recommendations for the regionalizing of coffee cultivation in Colombia: a methodological proposal based on agro-climatic indices

PLoS One. 2014 Dec 1;9(12):e113510. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113510. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

The Colombian National Federation of Coffee Growers (FNC) conducted an agro-ecological zoning study based on climate, soil, and terrain of the Colombian coffee-growing regions (CCGR) located in the tropics, between 1° and 11.5° N, in areas of complex topography. To support this study, a climate baseline was constructed at a spatial resolution of 5 km. Twenty-one bioclimatic indicators were drawn from this baseline data and from yield data for different coffee genotypes evaluated under conditions at eight experimental stations (ESs) belonging to the National Center for Coffee Research (CENICAFÉ). Three topographic indicators were obtained from a digital elevation model (DEM). Zoning at a national level resulted in the differentiation of 12 agro-climatic zones. Altitude notably influenced zone differentiation, however other factors such as large air currents, low-pressure atmospheric systems, valleys of the great rivers, and physiography also played an important role. The strategy of zoning according to coffee-growing conditions will enable areas with the greatest potential for the development of coffee cultivation to be identified, criteria for future research to be generated, and the level of technology implementation to be assessed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Agriculture / methods*
  • Altitude
  • Atmospheric Pressure
  • Climate
  • Coffee / growth & development*
  • Colombia
  • Crops, Agricultural / growth & development*
  • Ecosystem
  • Models, Theoretical
  • Soil

Substances

  • Coffee
  • Soil

Grants and funding

The Colombian National Federation of Coffee Growers (FNC, its Spanish acronym) funded Juan Carlos García L.'s doctoral program. The FNC provided the information used in the development of the thesis, as research outcome data, the coffee weather information network, and the coffee information system (SICA®, its Spanish acronym), which is related to the characterization of coffee farms. The base information used by Juan Carlos García L. as part of his doctoral thesis was restricted to the scope thereof and the results generated from this will be public, with priority use for the Colombian coffee growers. The salary of researchers Húver Posada and Juan Carlos García L. is in charge of the FNC. The salary of Peter Laderach and the logistics of the seven months internship conducted by Juan Carlos García L. was assumed by CIAT (Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical). The donors had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.