The Origin and Introduction of Catimor Coffee Variety and Yunnan Small-Bean Catimor

Coffee varieties can be divided into three major categories: Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica. With the development of the coffee industry, numerous varieties have been cultivated through continuous transplantation, mutation, and crossbreeding. Well-known varieties such as Caturra, Catuai, and Catimor are all products of mutation and hybridization. Previously, we've introduced Bourbon, Caturra, and Catuai coffee bean varieties. Today, let's explore Catimor, an artificially hybridized variety born to resist leaf rust disease.

The Spread of Coffee and Leaf Rust Crisis

Over several hundred years, coffee cultivation gradually spread across the globe. However, every plant has its "regional adaptability." When moved from their native habitats to other countries, plants need time to adapt to survive. Unfortunately, this process is not always smooth. In 1869, leaf rust disease began invading Arabica coffee plantations, with Asia being the first affected region, including estates in India, Java (Indonesia), and Sri Lanka, where Typica varieties were predominantly cultivated.

When Europeans observed Asian coffee plantations being devastated by leaf rust, they sought prevention measures by introducing new varieties, which led them to Bourbon. The French brought Bourbon from Réunion Island to Brazil for cultivation, and by 1870, Brazilian coffee plantations had massively switched to growing Bourbon. During its cultivation period, Bourbon mutated due to its adaptation to the American climate, resulting in the Caturra variety. By 1950, Bourbon planted in Costa Rica also produced the Villa Sarchi mutation. When leaf rust reached the Americas in 1970, it still attacked Typica, Bourbon, and their variants, causing significant production reductions in coffee-producing countries and leading to major economic losses. Consequently, botanists from various countries began researching and developing new disease-resistant varieties through scientific hybridization.

The Birth of Catimor

In 1920, the Timor Hybrid emerged on Timor Island—a natural hybrid between Arabica and Robusta. Although classified as an Arabica coffee plant, it possesses the disease-resistant genes of Robusta. Consequently, the Timor variety was crossed with Caturra, producing the first generation F1 hybrid group, which is now known as Catimor.

Catimor is merely the first-generation hybrid of Caturra and Timor, with the code T8667. However, it required further selection and breeding to stabilize its characteristics. Therefore, Catimor is not a single variety but rather a group of varieties with similar genetic lineage. Additionally, Timor was also hybridized with another Bourbon variant, creating the Sarchimor variety group, coded T5296. These varieties are particularly suitable for cultivation at altitudes around 700-1000 meters. As new varieties featuring high yield, disease resistance, and adaptability to low-altitude warm climates, they rapidly spread throughout coffee plantations in the Americas. Starting from the late 1980s, coffee laboratories in various countries began developing their own Catimor sub-varieties.

Catimor Varieties by Country

Costa Rica

T8667 and T5175 are F5 descendants selected and bred from the Portuguese H26 material introduced by the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) in Costa Rica. The "T" refers to the institute's location in Turrialba. Another variety, Costa Rica 95, was developed by the Costa Rican Coffee Institute (ICAFE) and released in June 1995.

Honduras

The Catimor variety developed by the Honduran Coffee Institute (HCAFE) is called Lempira, which can grow at altitudes of 600-1000 meters.

El Salvador

Developed by the Salvadoran Coffee Research Institute (ISIC), Catisic can be planted in acidic soils at altitudes of 600-1200 meters.

Yunnan, China

Before the 1960s, most of the small-bean coffee planted in Yunnan belonged to two old varieties: Typica and Bourbon. Starting from the 1970s and 1980s, major coffee-producing regions worldwide suffered from leaf rust infestations, and coffee growers everywhere began seeking solutions to this problem. In 1990, driven by the foreign company Nestlé, Yunnan introduced Catimor varieties from Central and South America—varieties with better disease resistance and higher yields—to replace the "unprofitable" Typica coffee trees. Catimor began large-scale cultivation in Yunnan, with continuously increasing production breakthroughs. However, its flavor was not exceptional, and the green bean processing techniques of Yunnan farmers at that time were not sophisticated enough. Often, the resulting coffee batches were sold at low prices, becoming components of commercial blends or instant coffee formulas.

Characteristics of Catimor

As a combination of Arabica and Robusta, Catimor inherits characteristics from both. Catimor plants tend to be short and compact with numerous branches, allowing for dense planting without requiring shade. Not only does it have strong resistance to leaf rust, but it also shows tolerance to common coffee berry diseases, which helps increase fruit-bearing rates. The fruit also matures faster than other varieties, naturally leading to higher yields.

Due to its partial Robusta genetic makeup, Catimor also inherits some flavor defects typical of Robusta. When grown at low altitudes, Catimor coffee tends to be bitter, and improper processing can produce harsh astringency and musty flavors. Even when grown at altitudes of 1200 meters, its aroma lacks richness, and in many competitions, it cannot compare to pure Arabica varieties like Caturra and Catuai. FrontStreet Coffee believes that Catimor coffee grown in Yunnan offers balanced flavors of nuts, brown sugar, and plum.

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