Cauvery (Catimor)
A dwarf-type Arabica of Catimor parentage (Caturra × Hybrido de Timor), given to the Central Coffee Research Institute from Portugal in 1985. The Coffee Board lists it as a main variety in 11 coffee regions.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Coffee
- Type
- Hybrid-derived Arabica line (Catimor), grown from seed or seedlings
- Season
- All seasons
- Starts bearing
- Perennial tree crop; no Cauvery-specific time to first crop is published
- Seed rate
- About 2,500–4,400 plants a hectare at the 1.5–2.0 m spacing TNAU gives for Arabica (our arithmetic)
- Expected yield
- TNAU lists 3,000 kg a hectare for Cauvery; we found no CCRI trial figure to check it against
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Rated susceptible to leaf rust, nematodes and the white stem borer, and resistant to the shot hole borer, in the Coffee Board germplasm profile for Selection 12 (SICC, ARA-04)
- Release
- Given to CCRI by a Portuguese coffee research centre in 1985 and named Cauvery (trade history of Indian Arabicas); Coffee Board lists it by the name Cauvery (Catimor)
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Cauvery is the Indian name for a Catimor, a cross of Caturra and Hybrido de Timor. The Coffee Board says it took high yield and quality from Caturra and its resistance from Hybrido de Timor, which is a natural cross of Arabica and Robusta. A trade history of Indian Arabicas says Portugal handed the line over to the Central Coffee Research Institute (CCRI) in 1985 and CCRI named it Cauvery; the same article lists it as Selection 12. TNAU calls it a dwarf Arabica and gives its yield as 3,000 kg a hectare. The Coffee Board lists Cauvery as a main variety in 11 regions: Anamalais, Araku Valley, Bababudangiris, Biligiris, Brahmaputra, Chikmagalur, Coorg, Manjarabad, Nilgiris, Pulneys and Shevaroys. We did not find a CCRI paper that gives a current rust score or a measured yield for Cauvery itself, so claims that need such a figure are left out.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Cauvery if you want a dwarf Arabica with Caturra quality and early ripening, you can buy seedlings labelled Cauvery by name, and you will keep spraying for rust: the Coffee Board germplasm profile for Selection 12 rates it susceptible to leaf rust, whatever its Hybrido de Timor parent once gave it. Be careful with any plant sold just as "Catimor": the Colombian Catimor types in the CCRI trial caught heavy rust here. Choose Chandragiri instead if you want a variety with published CCRI yield and rust numbers, since it is the Board's own check in its trials. Choose S.795 if you value its long record and cup and can pay for the rust sprays.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeJune to December, with the south-west monsoon (TNAU)
- Seed rateAbout 2,500–4,400 plants a hectare at the 1.5–2.0 m spacing TNAU gives for Arabica (our arithmetic)
- SpacingAbout 1.5–2.0 m each way for Arabica (TNAU); no Cauvery-specific spacing is published
- Sowing methodOne plant per pit of 45 cm each way with 500 g rock phosphate; dadap as lower shade and silver oak as permanent shade (TNAU)
- IrrigationA blossom shower in March–April and a backing shower in April–May; 1,600–2,500 mm of rain a year suits Arabica (TNAU)
- FertilizerArabica, kg N:P₂O₅:K₂O a hectare a year: year 1, 45:30:45; years 2–3, 60:45:60; year 4, 80:60:80; bearing under 1 t/ha, 140:90:120; bearing 1 t/ha or more, 160:120:160 (TNAU)
- HarvestingHarvest runs November to February, with the main picking in December (TNAU)
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Well-drained soil with a pH of about 4.5–6.5 (TNAU)
- Irrigation
- Good drainage essential
Climate
- Rainfall
- About 1,600–2,500 mm a year
- Climate
- Arabica grows at about 1,000–1,500 m (TNAU, Coffee Board).
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
Management notes
- Watch the leaves for rust every month and keep the TNAU schedule ready: 0.5% Bordeaux mixture in February–March, then 0.03% oxycarboxin in May–June.
- Keep two tiers of shade; thin the canopy by cutting criss-cross branches during the monsoon (TNAU).
- Spray 1% Bordeaux mixture for black rot during a break in the monsoon (TNAU).
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Caturra parentage gives high yield and quality (Coffee Board); the germplasm profile rates yield potential high, cup quality good and ripening early
- Dwarf growth (TNAU), a compact plant to work around
- A main variety in 11 Coffee Board regions, so planting material and local experience are easy to find
Things to consider
- The Coffee Board germplasm profile rates Selection 12 susceptible to leaf rust, so the Hybrido de Timor protection the Board describes cannot be taken as cover today
- No CCRI paper we could open gives a measured yield for Cauvery; the 3,000 kg a hectare is TNAU's figure
- Catimor lines from other countries are not the same plant: in the CCRI international trial the Colombian Catimor types showed high rust susceptibility with leaf fall under Indian conditions
- Rust protection that rests on one donor parent can break down as new rust races appear, so watch the leaves
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Karnataka
- Tamil Nadu
- Andhra Pradesh
Not every Catimor is Cauvery: check the label before you pay
Catimor is a family of crosses made in several countries, not one plant. In the CCRI trial that ran 28 Arabica varieties with World Coffee Research, the Colombian varieties of the Catimor type showed high rust susceptibility with leaf fall under Indian conditions (Coffee Board annual report 2020-21). That finding is about those Colombian lines. It does not say anything about Cauvery, but it does show why a plant sold only as "Catimor" is a risk.
Ask the seller for the name Cauvery, the source of the seed (a Coffee Board seed block or a registered nursery) and the year it was raised. Walk a neighbouring Cauvery block in July and look at the leaves for orange pustules and fallen leaves before you buy for a whole estate. If the seller cannot say where the seed came from, buy a small lot and test it first.
Where the planting material comes from
Buy seed or seedlings from the Coffee Board's seed blocks or a registered nursery, and ask for the name Cauvery on the label. Do not rely on seed from your own trees as a way to keep the line pure, because a cross-bred line can vary in later generations. We found no Coffee Board note on saving Cauvery seed.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Coffee variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Starts bearing | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cauvery (Catimor)this page | Dwarf-type Arabica blocks in the Coffee Board's main regions where you can keep a monthly rust check | Perennial tree crop; no Cauvery-specific time to first crop is published | TNAU lists 3,000 kg a hectare for Cauvery; we found no CCRI trial figure to check it against | Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh |
| Chandragiri (Sln.13) | Arabica blocks at 1,000–1,500 m where rust is the main loss and you want a variety with published CCRI numbers | Perennial tree crop; CCRI recorded yields from 2017 to 2021 on plants set out in 2012 | CCRI trial: 887 to 1,303 kg clean coffee a hectare over four years (2017-21); 811 to 1,274 kg in the Board's international trial | Karnataka, Odisha, Nagaland |
| S.274 (Robusta) | Robusta estates at 500–1,000 m in Chikmagalur, Coorg, Wayanad and the Nilgiris that want a long-tested variety and can plant it with S.270 | Perennial tree crop; a late-ripening Robusta (World Coffee Research) | Nearly 1,000 kg a hectare over 35 years of rain-fed testing; 1,500–3,000 kg of green bean a hectare in limited breeder trials (World Coffee Research) | Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu |
| S.795 (Selection 795) | Established Arabica estates at 1,000–1,500 m in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu where you can keep up a rust spray programme | First crop in about year 4 (World Coffee Research); TNAU treats Arabica as bearing from year 5 | About 700–1,200 kg clean coffee/ha (TNAU); a CCRI record from the Pulneys puts it near 400 kg an acre | Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh |
| Selection 9 (Sln.9) | Quality-first Arabica estates in Coorg, Chikmagalur and the Tamil Nadu hills that can earn a premium for the cup and run careful picking | Perennial tree crop; no Sln.9-specific time to first crop is published | CCRI international trial: 557 kg a hectare in 2021-22 and 547 kg in 2022-23, the best of the tall varieties | Karnataka, Tamil Nadu |
Tools for this crop
The numbers you need next: how much seed to buy, whether the lot germinates, what the fertilizer bill looks like and what Coffee is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Coffee plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Germination CalculatorTest 100 seeds from the bag before sowing and see whether the lot is fit to sow.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Coffee variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Coffee into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Coffee in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Coffee rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cauvery the same as Catimor?
Cauvery is the Indian name for a Catimor, and the Coffee Board writes it as Cauvery (Catimor). But Catimor is a family of crosses (Caturra × Hybrido de Timor) made in many countries. In the CCRI international trial, Colombian Catimor types showed high rust susceptibility with leaf fall in India. So ask for the plant by the name Cauvery and not just Catimor.
Cauvery or Chandragiri: which has better numbers?
Only Chandragiri has numbers we could check. CCRI uses it as its check variety and reports 1,274, 811 and 996 kg a hectare in three trial years, with rust on up to 30% of plants in one CCRI block. For Cauvery, TNAU gives 3,000 kg a hectare and we found no CCRI trial figure. Do not read that as Cauvery being better, because the two numbers are of different kinds. If you want measured figures, Chandragiri is the safer choice.
Is Cauvery Selection 12?
Yes, that is how the germplasm record reads. The Coffee Board germplasm profile (SICC) lists Selection 12 under accession ARA-04 as a Catimor, also written S12, and a trade history of Indian Arabicas gives Cauvery as Selection 12. The Coffee Board's own regions page uses only the name Cauvery (Catimor) and no Sln. number, so at the nursery counter ask for the name Cauvery.
How far apart should I plant Cauvery?
TNAU gives 1.5–2.0 m each way for Arabica, which is about 2,500 to 4,400 plants a hectare. It does not give a Cauvery-specific spacing. Dig pits of 45 cm each way, put 500 g of rock phosphate in each, and plant dadap as lower shade and silver oak as permanent shade at the same time. Start at the wider end if your block is shaded and wet, because crowded plants stay damp and hold rust.
Do I still need rust sprays on Cauvery?
Yes. The Coffee Board says Cauvery took its resistance from Hybrido de Timor, but the Board's own germplasm profile for Selection 12 now rates it susceptible to leaf rust, which is what happens when resistance from one donor meets new rust races. TNAU's schedule is 0.5% Bordeaux mixture in February–March, then 0.03% oxycarboxin in May–June, repeated in July–August and September–October. Check the leaves each month and spray when the first pustules show.
Sourced from: Coffee Board of India — Coffee regions of India, SICC coffee germplasm — Selection 12 (ARA-04), reference Coffee Board of India, TNAU Agritech Portal — Coffee, Coffee Board of India — Annual Report 2020-21 (CCRI international variety trial), Counter Culture — India's Arabica coffee varieties (CCRI release list). editorial policy.