La resistencia de las variedades mejoradas contra la roya diariamente se pone a prueba, y la única manera de conservar la durabilidad de la resistencia es incorporando nuevos genes o combinación de mecanismos de resistencia contra esta enfermedad. Por ello, actualmente Cenicafé, trabaja de manera anticipatoria desarrollando líneas avanzadas que posean fuentes de resistencia diferentes a las que poseen las variedades comerciales actuales provenientes del Híbrido de Timor, los cuales serán incorporados a las futuras variedades de café.

In coffee (Coffea arabica L.), male sterility is a prerequisite for the exploitation of heterosis since it provides an efficient and reliable method for the production of hybrid seeds. Given its relevance, the objective of this study was to identify male-sterile genotypes within the Colombian Coffee Collection that can be used in genetic improvement. For this purpose, Ethiopian germplasm and progenies derived from hybrids between C. arabica x C. canephora were explored between 2017 and 2021. In the first stage, genotypes without visual presence of pollen were preselected in the field, followed by selection through staining and verification of male sterility and female fertility through directed crosses (directed, reciprocal and selfing). In this stage, 9,753 trees were explored, preselecting 2.4% due to visual absence of pollen. The staining of structures allowed us to confirm the lack or sporadic production of pollen in 23 individuals of Ethiopian origin. The results of the directed crosses led to the identification of 11 male-sterile and 12 partially male-sterile genotypes belonging to 15 accessions. In all cases, the individuals were characterized by the presence of anthers but with an absence or low content of pollen, which is why the male sterility is possibly of the sporogenic type. The female receptivity values were between 2.9% and 72.6%, being higher than 30% in five genotypes. These genotypes are a valuable tool for the genetic improvement of C. arabica with the potential to facilitate the use of heterosis and to allow a deeper understanding the development of male gametophytes in the species.

Es una variedad con más fuentes de resistencia a la roya y al CBD, con alta producción, excelentes atributos sensoriales que la clasifican como café muy bueno-especial según la SCA. Con esta variedad las familias caficultoras seguirán contando con variedades Resistentes, Resilientes y Sostenibles.

En este Avance Técnico se describen las características más relevantes de algunas variedades de café, las cuales están representadas en dos grupos: las variedades tradicionales que provienen de regiones donde el cultivo se originó o diversificó y no han pasado por algún proceso de mejoramiento; mientras que las variedades mejoradas, son producidas con métodos sistemáticos de evaluación y selección, que garantizan la uniformidad y estabilidad de las característica objeto del programa de mejoramiento de café.

La presente publicación es fruto de la investigación del programa de conservación, caracterización y evaluación de los recursos genéticos de café. Es un esfuerzo sostenido de la conformación de la Colección Colombiana de Café y las características de los diferentes grupos de genotipos conservados. Además, pretende dar las bases necesarias a Caficultores, Extensionistas e Investigadores, para el conocimiento de los recursos genéticos del género Coffea existentes en la Colección, los cuales son la base para el mejoramiento de la especie C. arabica cultivada en el país, destacando su importancia para la sostenibilidad de la caficultura colombiana a futuros retos globales.

The sensory quality of coffee (Coffea arabica L.) has become increasingly important and is considered the best way to increase the competitiveness and profitability of the sector. Given the narrow genetic base cultivated, the use of its genetic resources conserved in germplasm banks is particularly relevant, especially for germplasm collected in Ethiopia, the country from which coffee originated and the center of its diversity of profiles. However, the potential benefits of using these resources is unknown. Therefore, the objective of this study was to characterize the sensory quality of the Ethiopian germplasm conserved in the Colombian Coffee Collection (CCC) to determine its variability and potential for use. The sensory qualities of drinks from 378 accessions of CCC were characterized. The results showed that 34% of the accessions evaluated presented sensory descriptors different from those of the traditional varieties. For the Global Impression attribute, the highest scores were associated with citrus, spice and floral notes. Additionally, prospecting rather than the area of origin of the germplasm influenced its sensory diversity, possibly due to the established objectives of the collection. The conserved germplasm exhibited important sensory variability, which is linked to rare descriptors in traditional varieties. Characterization activities of genetic resources, such as those conducted in this study, add value and serve as an initial step toward their application in breeding. The results obtained allow the selection of genotypes with distinct sensory profiles, which can be incorporated into genetic improvement programs aimed at developing future varieties with these attributes.