SECOND CHANCE FOR OLD COFFEE TREES

                Researches from the University of Southern Mindanao reported that coffee trees which are 20 years or more and no longer bear berries can be rejuvenated to become productive again. Rejuvenation can be done by simply cutting the old coffee trees 30cm above the ground just before the onset of the rainy season. This procedure allows the production of new vertical shoots which can serve as the root stock in grafting. Branches of high yielding coffee varieties can be grafted or united to the newly developed vertical shoots. For easy management, only two to three shoots per plant are allowed to grow to a height of 1.5 m. flowering and fruiting of the grafted coffee shoots occurs six months after rejuvenation.

                High yield can be obtained by fertilizer application. Trees applied with 400 grams of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium per year can produce 1.11 kilograms of dried berries per tree in one harvesting. With nitrogen alone, fertilized tree can produce 800 grams of dried berries per tree in one harvesting. Rejuvenated coffee trees can produce a 200 to 400 percent yield increase in coffee berries from 25 to 60 months after rejuvenation. Using this technology, a coffee farmer can earn a net income of ₱52,262.00 per hectare in one year operation.

                With this technology, coffee farmers will not only save time planting new coffee seedlings but also earn higher income from their coffee production. Thus when you see old and unproductive coffee trees, why not give them a second chance. They deserve it after all.