Coffee Science, a scientific magazine specializing in coffee farming, published by the Federal University of Lavras – UFLA, within the scope of the Café Research Consortium, published 15 scientific articles in the second edition of 2017, among which it is worth highlighting two that evaluated the sensory profiles of coffee cultivars . These articles, entitled 'Sensory profile of dry and wet processed coffee cultivars after storage' and 'Environment and varieties influence the quality of coffees from Matas de Minas', concluded that the combination of environmental factors (altitude and orientation of the mountain slope), positive attributes of the cultivars and processing (improvement) influence the quality of the drink.
The positive attributes of coffee cultivars are related to desirable agronomic characteristics, such as resistance to pests and diseases, tolerance to drought and insolation, efficiency in nutrient absorption, productivity, among others, which associated with good harvesting, processing and processing practices improve the quality of the coffee drink. In this context, quality is determined through sensory analyzes that basically consist of the application of quality assessment methodologies based on the preparation and tasting of coffees.
As demonstrated in the two articles in reference from Coffee Science from the 2017 edition (volume 12, number 2), which is available in full on the website of the Café Observatory of the Café Research Consórcio, coordinated by Embrapa Café, the coffees that were the subject of the research were evaluated according to the environment and varieties (cultivars) to determine the main factors that influence the quality of coffees.
Thus, specifically in relation to the article Sensory profile of coffee cultivars processed dryly and wetly after storage, it is worth highlighting that this research aimed to describe the sensory profile of different coffee cultivars processed dryly (naturally) and wetly (demucilated). ), after one year of storage.
To this end, four coffee cultivars were sensorially evaluated (Catuaí Vermelho IAC 144, Iapar 59, Bourbon Amarelo and Paraíso MG H 419-1), of the species Coffea arabica L. from the 2012/2013 harvest. The sensory analysis was carried out by two accredited tasters qualified through the Specialty Coffee Association of America – SCAA protocol.
Thus, coffees obtained from natural processing stood out in most of the sensorial attributes evaluated in relation to demucilated coffees, after one year of storage. The cultivars Catuaí Vermelho IAC 144 and Iapar 59 showed better quality when subjected to natural processing. The demucilated coffees obtained higher scores attributed to the Bourbon Amarelo and Paraíso cultivars.
Regarding the article Environment and varieties influence the quality of coffees from Matas de Minas, it was demonstrated that the effects of the orientation of the mountain slope, altitude and plant variety influence the potential quality of coffees produced in the Matas de Minas region (between altitudes ranging from 600 to 1200 m). In this case, coffee fruits (Coffea arabica) of the Catuaí Vermelho and Catuaí Amarelo cultivars, from 14 municipalities in the region, were manually harvested at the point of physiological maturity, which were processed, processed and stored.
Qualitative descriptive analyzes were then carried out by certifying judges, using the tasting test, according to the same SCAA criteria adopted by the Brazil Specialty Coffee Association – BSCA. Thus, through sensory analyzes of the drink, notes were applied to the quality attributes of the coffees with the aim of classifying them according to the influence of environmental factors and cultivars. The research demonstrated that the variable environmental factors and cultivars did not exert much influence on the coffee grades, when analyzed in isolation. The combination of environmental factors (altitude and orientation of the mountain slope) and the variety (cultivar) of the plant exerted more influence on the final quality of the coffee drink produced in Matas de Minas. Of the attributes analyzed, those that contributed most to the characterization of coffees from the Region were body and sweetness.
The Coffee Science magazine in its 2017 edition (volume 12, number 2) brings thirteen more articles that are also worth checking out in full: Tolerance to water deficit in seedlings of coffee genotypes carrying genes from different species; Mapping the coffee crop through automatic classification using spectral, textural attributes and lighting factor; Excessive use of nitrogen generates monetary losses for coffee growers in the Cerrado Baiano; Drip irrigation and phosphorus management in the progress of coffee rust; Influence of fertilization on the vegetative growth of coffee trees in the southern western Amazon; 'Impact of control of spontaneous plants on “fmas” propagules and coffee mycorrhization; Influence of leaf density on spray distribution in the coffee tree (Coffea arabica L.) canopy; Multivariate statistics applied to cost data from the coffee post-harvest phase; Analysis of the spatial variability of the detachment force of coffee fruits under a central pivot; Transient fluorescence of chlorophyll a and vegetative growth in conilon coffee under different nitrogen sources; Spatial variability of soil physical attributes in terra preta de Índio under conilon coffee cultivation; Comparison between conventional and precision leaf sampling for micronutrient analysis in coffee farming; and Naphthaleneacetic acid associated with potassium fertilization on the sprouting of conilon coffee.
The Coffee Science Magazine, from the Federal University of Lavras – UFLA, is published quarterly and is published online with free access. It includes original technical-scientific articles, which are available in this edition posted on the Observatório do Café and on the Coffee Science magazine website.
Source: Agrolink
