The contribution of coffee crops to socioeconomic development of Karenge sector in Rwamagana district. Case study of Kopakaka cooperative. period:2008-2011.

2.2. Coffee over the world

2.2.1 Etymology of coffee

The first reference to "coffee" in the English language is in the form chaoua and dates to 1598. In English and other European languages, coffee derives from the Ottoman Turkish kahve, via the Italian caffè. The Turkish word in turn was borrowed from the Arabic: `qahwah'. Arab lexicographers maintain that qahwah originally referred to a type of wine, and gave its etymology, in turn, to the verb ÞåÇqaha, signifying "to have no appetite",since this beverage was thought to dull one's hunger ( www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/coffee).

2.2.2 Cultivation of coffee

a) Planting

The traditional method of planting coffee is to put 20 seeds in each hole at the beginning of the rainy season; half are eliminated naturally. A more effective method of growing coffee, used in Brazil, is to raise seedlings in nurseries that are then planted outside at six to twelve months. Coffee is often intercropped with food crops, such as corn, beans, or rice during the first few years of cultivation (James A., 1983).

The two main species grown: Arabica coffee is generally more highly regarded than Robusta coffee.Robusta tends to be bitter and have less flavour but better body than Arabica. For these reasons, about three-quarters of coffee cultivated worldwide is C. Arabica. Robusta strains also contain about 40-50% more caffeine than Arabica. For this reason, it is used as an inexpensive substitute for Arabica in many commercial coffee blends. Good quality Robusta beans are used in some espresso blends to provide a full-bodied taste, a better foam head (known as crema), and to lower the ingredient cost (Belachew M., 2003:763).

However, Coffeacanephora is less susceptible to disease than coffeeArabica and can be cultivated in lower altitudes and warmer climates where coffeeArabica will not thrive. The robusta strain was first collected in 1890 from the Lomani River, a tributary of the Congo River, and was conveyed from Zaire to Brussels to Java around 1900. From Java, further breeding resulted in the establishment of Robusta plantations in many countries. In particular, the spread of the devastating coffee leaf rust (Hemileiavastatrix), to which coffee. Arabica is vulnerable, hastened the uptake of the resistant robusta. Coffee leaf rust is found in virtually all countries that produce coffee (Waller J.M. and all, 2007:171).

b) Pests of coffee crops

Over 900 species of insect have been recorded as pests of coffee crops worldwide. Of these, over a third arebeetles, and over a quarter are bugs. Some 20 species of nematodes, 9 species of mites, several snails and slugs also attack the crop. Birds and rodents sometimes eat coffee berries but their impact is minor compared to invertebrates.In general, Arabica is the more sensitive species to invertebrate predation overall. Each part of the coffee plant is assailed by different animals. Nematodes attack the roots, and borer beetles burrow into stems and woody material,the foliage is attacked by over 100 species of larvae (caterpillars) of butterflies and moths (www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/coffee).

c) Management of the pests

Mass spraying of insecticides has often proven disastrous, as the predators of the pests are more sensitive than the pests themselves.Instead, integrated pest management has developed, using techniques such as targeted treatment of pest outbreaks, and managing crop environment away from conditions favouring pests. Branches infested with scale are often cut and left on the ground, which promotes scale parasites to not only attack the scale on the fallen branches but in the plant as well (Idem).