One strategy for adding unique characteristics and flavors to improve coffee quality is the selection of starter microorganisms. Here, we aimed to evaluate the effect of Saccharomyces cerevisiae LNFCA11 and Kluyveromyces lactis B10 as starter cultures on the quality of four different wet-fermented coffee varieties. Microbiological, molecular, and chemical analyses were carried out to identify yeast, bacteria, volatile compounds, carbohydrates and bioactive compounds in coffee. Sensory analysis was performed by Q-graders certified in coffee. Starter yeasts affected bioactive and volatile compounds as well as sensory descriptors in the coffee varieties. S. cerevisiae CA11 allowed a higher content of trigonelline and chlorogenic acid in MGS Paraíso 2 (P2) and Catuai Amarelo IAC62 (CA62) varieties. K. lactis B10 fermentation resulted in higher chlorogenic acid only on the P2 cultivar and MGS Catucaí Pioneira (CP). In addition, 5-methyl-2-furfuryl alcohol and n-hexadecanoic acid were produced exclusively by yeast fermentation compared to spontaneous fermentation. The coffee cultivars P2 presented more complex sensory descriptors and the attributes of aroma, acidity, and balance when fermented with S. cerevisiae CA11. Sensory descriptors such as lemongrass, citrus, and lemon with honey were related to K. lactis B10. Starter cultures allowed the coffees to be classified as specialty coffees. The fermentation showed that the choice of starter yeast depends on the desired sensory descriptors in the final product.

Coffee genetic improvement programs have been evolving very quickly, with frequent launches of new cultivars. The adoption of these new genetic materials by rural producers requires knowledge of agronomic performance in different production systems. Thus, this research aimed to evaluate the agronomic performance of irrigated and rainfed Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica L.) cultivars in the Cerrado Mineiro region. Evaluations were conducted in experimental fields across 22 farms of Arabica coffee producers, and 11 used an irrigated production system and 11 used a rainfed system. Twelve cultivars were evaluated as follows: Catuaí Vermelho IAC 144, Bourbon Amarelo IAC J10, Topázio MG 1190, MGS Epamig 1194, Catiguá MG2, MGS Catiguá 3, MGS Ametista, Pau Brasil MG1, MGS Paraíso 2, MGS Aranãs, Sarchimor MG 8840, and IAC 125 RN. Based on grain yield, processing yield, seed density, grain size, and cup quality, agronomic performance evaluations were conducted annually for the 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 harvests. The results showed that the grain yield was higher in the irrigated system compared to the rainfed system. In irrigated fields, the average increases in grain yield were 38%. Irrigation improved the performance of the cultivars in terms of processing yield, although it reduced cup quality. MGS Paraíso 2 cultivar showed the best productive performance, with an average of over four harvests of 52 and 42 bags ha⁻¹ (1 bag = 60 kg) in irrigated and rainfed systems, respectively. The cultivars least responsive to irrigation were IAC 125 RN, MGS Catiguá 3, MGS Ametista, and MGS Paraíso 2, with grain yield increases of 24%, 26%, 27%, and 28%, respectively. The most responsive cultivars were MGS EPAMIG 1194, Sarchimor MG 8840, and Pau Brasil MG1, with grain yield increases of 33%, 35%, and 39%, respectively. The agronomic performance results of coffee cultivars in irrigated and rainfed production systems will allow rural producers to adopt cultivars that are more suitable for the Cerrado Mineiro region.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the productivity and beverage sensory quality of arabica coffee under the influence of tree species cultivated at different spacings. The experiment was set in 2012, in the municipality of Santo Antônio do Amparo, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. A randomized complete block design was carried out with four replicates and seven treatments, as follows: Catuaí Vermelho IAC 99 Coffea arabica in monoculture (3.40x0.65 m); and this cultivar intercropped at two spacings (9.0x13.6 and 18.0x13.6 m) in the coffee row ‒ either with African mahogany (Khaya ivorensis), teak (Tectona grandis), or pink cedar (Acrocarpus fraxinifolius). Three coffee rows were fixed between rows, totaling 13.6 m between the wooded rows. Productivity, sensory analysis (cup test), and content analysis of sensory attributes were evaluated in the 2017 and 2018 crop years. The treatments and years of harvest influenced productivity. The sensory analysis was positive for coffee intercropped with African mahogany and teak, in 2018. Sensory attributes and nuances are modified by the years of harvest. Arabica coffee plants intercropped with African mahogany show a superior productivity, regardless of the spacing between species, as well as a higher sensory quality in the 2018 harvest.

The objective of this study was to investigate the most efficient way to select F_4:5 progenies derived from the Icatu and Catimor groups of Coffea arabica and to study the genotypic correlations between the traits related to coffee grain physical quality, diseases, and productivity. A combination of the predicted additive values for production capacity when considering seven harvests and a simultaneous selection for a high sieve percentage and resistance to specific diseases during the last harvest was used. Analyses that selected progenies without considering the genotype × harvest interaction provided inaccurate results, distorting the progeny ranking. Coffee leaf rust and brown eye spot were correlated, showing the possibility of simultaneously selecting for resistance to both diseases. Of the 68 progenies studied here, five showed satisfactory agronomic traits. Our findings will contribute substantially to the development of new coffee cultivars that will allow us to reduce pesticide use.

Rust is the main disease affecting Coffea arabica, the most economically important coffee species. The objective of this study was to analyze C. arabica cultivars with different levels of rust resistance, including bean size, raw bean appearance, final sensory scores (FSS), and aroma and taste nuances of the coffee cup. The experiment was designed in randomized blocks (RBD) with three replications and 20 treatments (cultivars), totaling 60 experimental plots. The rust-susceptible cultivars IPR 100, Rubi MG 1192, and Topázio MG 1190 were compared with 17 rust-resistant cultivars. Cultivars IPR 103, MGS Aranãs, and Saíra II presented the highest percentages of high sieves, highest scores of raw bean appearance, and low percentages of mocha-type beans. All cultivars had FSS above 82 and were classified as specialty coffees. The cultivars with the highest FSS (Arara and Catiguá MG2) showed a greater diversity of coffee cup aroma and flavor nuances. Rust-resistant Arabica coffee cultivars are promising for the physical quality of beans and have potential for the specialty coffee market.

Despite the great diversity of available Arabica coffee cultivars it is observed that, even when presenting different phenotypes of interest, new cultivars are adopted at a slow pace by coffee growers. One possible reason may be the lack of information on the performance of these genotypes in different regions and culture conditions. The aim this work was to verify the performance of twelve coffee cultivars in relation to morphoagronomic characteristics at initial stage of development, as well as the beans quality, in a condition of typical cultivation of the Cerrado. The trial was carried out in the municipality of Monte Carmelo - MG, in randomized block design, with four replicates. Morphoagronomic characteristics were evaluated 15 months after the implantation of the crop. The productivity and, subsequently, the quality of the beans, were evaluated at 18 months. Statistical analyzes were performed using the Genes software. The data were submitted to analysis of variance. The F test was used to determine the significance of treatments. The means were grouped by the Scott-Knott test (1974) at 5% probability and the experimental precision was verified by the estimation of the experimental variation coefficient (CV) and the selective accuracy. The sensory attributes were evaluated in a radar diagram, called “Sensogram”. Genetic variability was observed among cultivars for the vegetative characters. The cultivars Catuaí Vermelho IAC 144 and MGS Aranãs stood out as more productive, with a high percentage of sieve 16 and above and low percentage of grain type mocha. All the cultivars stood out as special, with emphasis on the cultivar Bourbon Amarelo IAC J10 in the wet processing and Catuaí Vermelho IAC 144 in the natural processing.