Sensory attributes of coffee under different shade regimes and levels of management

Abstract

Despite coffee bean physical and beverage quality attributes being inherent factors, the environment, which includes crop management factors, can play a major role in determining their expression. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of management and shade levels on beverage quality of coffee. The study was carried out at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Coffee Research Institute (KALROCRI) farm in Bungoma County, Kenya. The coffee management levels were categorized depending on field operations and application of inputs. The different shade levels were based on the distances from the trunk of shade tree and shading levels were estimated by measuring the Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density (PPFD) in µmol m-2 s-1 using a Line Quantum Sensor. The sensory characteristics fragrance/aroma, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, body, balance and overall were assessed by a panel of seven trained judges. The beverage quality, except for acidity and balance, were largely unaffected by management or shade levels, however trends showed that most of the variables, on average, had higher scores in shade than in full sun. Shade was positively correlated with all sensory variables while management was negatively correlated with all. This suggested that use of shade, under low management, could offset the limited application of external inputs to some extent.