Ethiopia Coffee Variety Development for Modern Coffee Production (Review)

Coffee plays a significant role in the world economy next to oil. More than 80 countries produce coffee but only 60 developing country including Ethiopia depend on coffee as s major source of their foreign currency earnings. Ethiopia is African’s leading coffee producer and 5th major coffee producing country in the world. However, the production and productivity of coffee are low compared with the major coffee producing countries, this is due to inadequate extension service, limited improved coffee variety and traditional farming practices. Therefore, strategically development and applying coffee breeding principles are significant effects to improve the productivity, quality attribute and disease- pest resistance. However, the breeding methods and their principles are varied from country to country depending on the amount of genetic variability available, ecological conditions and prevailing problems. Even though, well organized documents and data on breeding methods, improved coffee varieties and adaptability of release coffee varieties information’s are limited in Ethiopia. Therefore, the main objective of this review paper is, systematically assesses coffee production system, total improved coffee varieties in Ethiopia through pure line and hybrid breeding methods and their agroecological suitability. The ultimate goal of arabica coffee breeding program in Ethiopia is, to develop new and high yielder, best quality, disease - pest resistance, and adaptable on different agroecology of coffee growing area of the country. Then, coffee berry disease resistance, low and midland targeted, hybrid, highland and landrace are 16, 5, 4, 4 and 12 in number respectively total 41 improved coffee varieties were released. The unique features of these released coffee varieties are high yielder, best quality, disease - pest resistance and adaptable. However, multiplication and distribution of the improved coffee variety to coffee growers are limited because of limited extension service, inadequate infrastructure and limited seed enterprise. In general, Ethiopia is not only the center and origin of coffee arabica but also indispensable coffee genetic reservoir. So, it’s better to develop strategic planning and integration with global breeding for sustainable coffee production, enhance productivity associated with quality, disease resistance and adaptability.