Dr Jarrod Kath from USQ’s Centre for Applied Climate Sciences is investigating a variety of coffee that supplies roughly 20-40 per cent of the world’s market. It was named robusta after it was thought to be extremely resilient. What he and his colleagues are finding, however, is that the bean is not as tough as first thought and may require a range of strategies to keep it growing in South East Asia, particularly in Vietnam where millions are dependent on it for income.

Examining robusta coffee crops is the beginning of a research project titled ‘De Risk South East Asia’, which is being conducted in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organisation and the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture. The project will examine how a host of South East Asian agricultural crops, such as coffee, sugar and rice, are threatened by the effects of climate change. Once the effects have been investigated, “climate management systems” will be employed to try and attenuate the negative climatic effects on yields.

Kath and his colleagues have already discovered that the optimal temperature for the robusta bean is 20.5 degrees Celsius, not between 22 and 28 degrees Celsius that had once been unquestioned. Also, Kath’s research is indicating that the overnight minimum temperature might be having more of an effect on the robusta yield, not daytime temperatures.

In addition to these research findings, the project is exploring ways farmers can mitigate the effects of climate change through equipping farmers with more accurate weather knowledge (and thus knowing when to irrigate more) and mulching more during hotter periods. The idea of a genetically engineering a robusta bean that can tolerate higher temperatures has also been considered.

Dr Jarrod Kath from USQ’s Centre for Applied Climate Sciences is investigating a variety of coffee that supplies roughly 20-40 per cent of the world’s market. It was named robusta after it was thought to be extremely resilient. What he and his colleagues are finding, however, is that the bean is not as tough as first thought and may require a range of strategies to keep it growing in South East Asia, particularly in Vietnam where millions are dependent on it for income. Examining robusta coffee crops is the beginning of a research project titled ‘De Risk South East Asia’, which is being conducted in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organisation and the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture. The project will examine how a host of South East Asian agricultural crops, such as coffee, sugar and rice, are threatened by the effects of climate change. Once the effects have been investigated, “climate management systems” will be employed to try and attenuate the negative climatic effects on yields. Kath and his colleagues have already discovered that the optimal temperature for the robusta bean is 20.5 degrees Celsius, not between 22 and 28 degrees Celsius that had once been unquestioned. Also, Kath’s research is indicating that the overnight minimum temperature might be having more of an effect on the robusta yield, not daytime temperatures. In addition to these research findings, the project is exploring ways farmers can mitigate the effects of climate change through equipping farmers with more accurate weather knowledge (and thus knowing when to irrigate more) and mulching more during hotter periods. The idea of a genetically engineering a robusta bean that can tolerate higher temperatures has also been considered.

Campus Review

Dr Jarrod Kath from USQ’s Centre for Applied Clim…

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