Does grafting coffee roots increase resilience to climate change?

According to Fabrizio Arigoni – Head of Plant Science at Nestle Research: the root system is an important part in assessing a plant’s vitality and abilities such as disease and drought resistance. Rootstock consists of roots and stem segments growing underground, which are essential for supporting the plant and absorbing nutrients. Grafted branches are branches or twigs that grow above the ground, containing the plant’s genetic material that determines what flowers and fruits will develop. Basically, coffee grafting is the combination of coffee species or varieties with different advantages, to create trees with better resilience.

For example, grafting Arabica coffee branches onto Robusta coffee rootstock is a common way to strengthen the root system of Arabica coffee plants. Because robusta rootstock is larger and stronger, when grafted onto an arabica stem, the tree can absorb more water and nutrients.

Grafting coffee roots is a method that has been around since the late 19th century. Currently, it is considered one of the sustainable techniques that can bring benefits and optimize the adaptability of coffee plants. Benoît Bertrand – geneticist at the French agricultural research organization CIRAD, said that many scientific studies have found that grafting well-chosen coffee roots can help coffee trees adapt to soil conditions. difficult climate or climate. Grafting coffee roots can also allow the tree to better adapt to higher temperatures, prolonged drought, excess water and higher aluminum content. Furthermore, rootstock varieties can also help coffee plants be better protected against certain pests and diseases. Some rootstocks also mitigate the effects of global warming without affecting quality or yield.

Experts also say that when growing Arabica coffee, rootstock grafting is used to protect the tree from nematodes. These are small parasitic worms that can suck nutrients from the coffee plant’s root system, thereby inhibiting growth. Coffee with suitable root grafts can absorb more nutrients, limiting the amount of fertilizer.

A coffee farm is a small business, the farmer’s income depends on the balance between input and output. If coffee plants adapt better to climate change, farmers can have more sustainable livelihoods thanks to increased output and productivity of coffee lots.

Currently, with the development of science and technology, researchers are trying to evaluate whether these rootstocks can increase carbon fixation, reduce water use and increase nitrogen consumption. . At the same time, they tested whether the microbiome (the community of microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi and yeast) in coffee roots was improved by rootstock grafting. By using wild coffee species in rootstock grafting, researchers can make a difference for the better in protecting lesser-known species in the Coffea genus.

Climate change is a complex, large-scale problem and a significant threat to the future of the coffee industry. However, preventative measures such as grafting can help coffee farmers adapt to changing environmental conditions. Coffee rootstock research can support progress in discovering new solutions that are sustainable and deployable at scale. Rootstock will also significantly improve the productivity and climate adaptability of coffee trees while minimizing the impact of climate change.

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