Cauvery (Sln. 12)
A semi-dwarf, Catimor-derived selection bred specifically to close the rust-resistance gap S.795 has developed over 80 years of field exposure — the modern pick wherever rust races beyond I and II are already a problem.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Coffee
- Type
- Hybrid
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- First harvest 3–4 years after planting
- Expected yield
- Higher than S.795 at full bearing
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Release
- Introduced to India 1985, from Portugal's Centro de Investigação das Ferrugens do Cafeeiro (CIFC) · developed further by India's Central Coffee Research Institute
About this variety
Cauvery (Sln. 12) is a Catimor-type Arabica selection — a reported F4 cross of Caturra (a natural dwarf mutant of Bourbon) and Hybrido de Timor (a natural Arabica × Robusta hybrid carrying broad rust resistance) — introduced to India from Portugal's coffee research centre (CIFC) in 1985 and developed further by India's own Central Coffee Research Institute. The Coffee Board of India's own official page describes it as compact, early-bearing and disease-resistant, combining Caturra's high yield and cup quality with Hybrido de Timor's broader rust resistance — matching this record's own diseaseResistance field ('combined resistance to multiple leaf rust races via Catimor parentage') closely. It is grown across a wider set of hill tracts than this record's own Karnataka/Kerala states field alone; WebSearch-corroborated (not independently fetched) sources also name the Nilgiris and Anamalais in Tamil Nadu among its growing areas, alongside Coorg, Chikmagalur and Bababudangiri in Karnataka.
Key characteristics
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
First harvest 3–4 years after planting
Expected yield
Higher than S.795 at full bearing
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Combines Caturra's high yield and cup quality with Hybrido de Timor's broader multi-race rust resistance — bred specifically to outlast the resistance gap that developed in S.795 over decades of field exposure
- Compact, semi-dwarf, early-bearing growth habit, useful for higher-density planting
Things to consider
- This record's own states field lists Karnataka and Kerala; WebSearch-corroborated (not independently fetched) sources also name the Nilgiris and Anamalais in Tamil Nadu among Cauvery's growing tracts — a softer gap, not a contradiction, so left here as an addition rather than a correction
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Karnataka
- Kerala
Frequently asked questions
How is Cauvery different from S.795?
Cauvery is a much newer (1985) Catimor-type selection bred specifically around Hybrido de Timor's broad, multi-race rust resistance, in a compact semi-dwarf plant, versus S.795's 1945–46 release and its narrower race I/II resistance. Growers on land where rust races beyond I and II are already a problem get more headroom from Cauvery; where rust pressure is lighter, S.795's long track record and cup-quality reputation still make it a strong choice.
Where did the Hybrido de Timor rust resistance in Cauvery originally come from?
Hybrido de Timor is a natural Arabica × Robusta cross discovered on the island of Timor, and because Robusta (C. canephora) carries broad natural resistance to coffee leaf rust, HDT became one of the world's most important rust-resistance donor lines — used by breeding programmes across Latin America and Asia, including in Cauvery's own Caturra × HDT cross, to build modern rust-resistant Arabica varieties.
Sourced from: Coffee Regions of India — Coffee Board of India, Indian Coffee Varieties: SLN-795, SLN-9, Chandragiri & Kent — Indian Coffee Beans. editorial policy.