Industrial Crops
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Browsing Industrial Crops by Author "A.I.C.T.A., Coffee Services, Kenya"
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Item Growth and Bearing Habits of Coffee Arabica in Kenya and in Southern India(1946) Rayner, R.W.; A.I.C.T.A., Coffee Services, KenyaThe growth and bearing habits of arabica coffee in S6uthern India have recently been described by Mayne [1]. Since detailed observations have been made in Kenya at the Scott Laboratories, on the growth and flowering cycles of coffee for the last three years and, in addition, the morphology of the bud and branch systems has been studied, it is of interest t3 compare the results obtained so far with Mayne's observations. CLIMATES. The climates of the two areas differ considerably. The rainfall is higher in Southern India, ranging between 80 and over 100 inches per annum, whereas in the main Kenya coffee areas it lies between 25 and 60 inches in normal years. The temperatures are also perceptibly higher and have a wider range. They are roughly comparable to those expected between 3,400 to 3,900 ft. in Kenya where the main coffee areas are between 5,200 to 5,800 ft. The rains, as in Kenya, are the result of the inter-action of the two monsoon currents. However, as the Indian areas are about 12 N. of the equator, the duration of the southwest monsoon is short and the rains due to the rainfall belt moving northwards merge into the rains due to its return southward. There is thus practically only one rainy season, the first half associated with the onset of the southwest monsoon, and the second half with the onset of the north-east monsoon. The Kenya coffee areas, on the other hand, are just south of the equator with the result that there are two distinct rainy seasons, the" long" and" short" rains, an interval of about seven months separating their maxima. There is, thus, a single dry season in Southern India• instead of the two experienced in Kenya. It starts in December and lasts until the end of March. It is a period of clear skies, the first part being the coldest period of the year, whereas during the second half the temperature ascends to a maximum at the onset of the rains. With the rains, the temperature falls rapidly at first and then more slowly. There is a slight rise in September and then again a fall until the dry season commences. The rains are at their maximum in July and there is no distinct break between the first half
