ESTABLISHED COFFEE REPLACEMENT WITH RUIRU-11 - EVALUATION OF REPLACEMENT METHODS OF ESTABLISHED TRADITIONAL CAPPED COFFEE CV - FRENCH MISSION WITH THE NEW RUIRU-11 HYBRID
Jm. Njoroge et al., ESTABLISHED COFFEE REPLACEMENT WITH RUIRU-11 - EVALUATION OF REPLACEMENT METHODS OF ESTABLISHED TRADITIONAL CAPPED COFFEE CV - FRENCH MISSION WITH THE NEW RUIRU-11 HYBRID, Discovery and innovation, 7(2), 1995, pp. 195-201
An evaluation of field replacement methods of established capped multi
ple stem system Arabica coffee, ''French Mission'' with Ruiru 11 Arabi
ca hybrid was carried out in Ruiru, Kenya. A non-significant enhanceme
nt of Ruiru 11 stem height was observed in a mixed stand of Ruiru 11 a
nd French Mission at hedgerow or staggered systems. Ruiru 11 trees rai
sed on two stems, significantly increased the number of total primarie
s per tree, had longer primary branches and higher number of nodes per
primary branch than single stem system irrespective of the replacemen
t methods. The highest number of bearing primaries per tree were obser
ved on Ruiru 11 trees where French Mission was completely replaced or
50% was replaced by Ruiru 11. Complete replacement of French Mission t
rees with Ruiru 11 at 5320 trees/ha. (1.37 x 1.37 m) raised on single
stem, gave significantly high average yields of clean coffee. This was
followed by the treatment involving 50% replacement of French Mission
with Ruiru 11 at 2 x 1.5 m (3333 trees/ha.), trained on either a sing
le or two stems and where Ruiru 11 was interplanted in French Mission
at hedgerow system (2.74 x 1.37 m) trained on single stem. Large coffe
e beans were noted to be reduced in high yields of clean coffee produc
tion situations. Sequential replacement of established traditional cof
fee with the new Arabica hybrid cv. Ruiru 11 was recommended.