Evaluation of the performance of coffee varieties under low moisture stressed areas of Southern Ethiopia

The experiment was conducted by using seven released coffee varieties at three locations in southern Ethiopia, Halaba, Loka Abaya and Dilla, to select coffee varieties with higher yield and tolerant to low soil moisture stress. It was arranged in RCBD having three replications. The result indicated that the varieties showed significant difference on main stem diameter, plant height at harvesting, plant height up to the first branch, number of primary branches, number of secondary branches, number of tertiary branches, number of main stems, fruiting nodes per branch (FNPB), number of beans per cherry (NBPC), canopy diameter, leaf area, number of leaves per branch, number of leaves per tree (NLPT), hundred bean weight (HBW), weight of fresh husk (WHF), weight of dried husk (WHD), weight of fresh husked bean (WHBF), and weight of dried husked bean (WHBD). Stand count at harvest (STCNT), leaf length (LL), leaf width (LW), bean thickness (BTH), bean length (BL), bean yield per tree (YPT), bean yield per plot (YPP), bean yield per hectare (YPHA) and weight of husked clean coffee (WHCC) were not statistically significant. Location specific significant variations were observed on some of the variables such as stand count, leaf length, and leaf width at Halaba; yield per tree, yield per plot, yield per hectare and weight of husked clean coffee were significant at all the three locations despite their non-significant value while combined. The coffee variety Catimor J-19 performed best at all location with respect to fresh bean yield and dried clean coffee followed by Angafa. Thus they can be promoted for larger commercial production at tested locations and locations with similar agro-ecological conditions.