S.274 (Robusta)
The first Robusta selection released by the Central Coffee Research Institute, in the late 1940s as Sln.1R. It is a main Robusta variety in Chikmagalur, Coorg, Manjarabad, Nilgiris, Travancore and Wayanad, and it is planted together with S.270.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Coffee
- Type
- Robusta selection (Sln.1R), planted as a pair with S.270
- Season
- All seasons
- Starts bearing
- Perennial tree crop; a late-ripening Robusta (World Coffee Research)
- Seed rate
- About 1,000–2,000 plants a hectare (World Coffee Research); about 1,600 at the 2.5 m spacing TNAU gives for Robusta (our arithmetic)
- Expected yield
- 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)
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Intermediate resistance to leaf rust; tolerant of nematodes and the shot hole borer (World Coffee Research)
- Release
- Released by CCRI in the late 1940s as Sln.1R, the first Robusta selection the institute released
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
S.274 was released by the Central Coffee Research Institute (CCRI) in the late 1940s as Sln.1R, the first Robusta selection the institute released. World Coffee Research gives its breeding as a cross of Coffea congensis and Coffea canephora, followed by backcrossing to Robusta, with the final selection made from the second backcross generation. It describes a very vigorous plant that grows into a moderately large tree, with medium beans (screen 15–16), late ripening and a cherry-to-green-bean outturn of 20%. Robusta is an out-crossing species, so S.274 is planted together with S.270 as a pair; World Coffee Research says planting them separately will reduce fruit set. The Coffee Board lists S.274 as a main Robusta in Chikmagalur, Coorg, Manjarabad, Nilgiris, Travancore and Wayanad. Over 35 years of rain-fed testing the two genotypes averaged nearly 1,000 kg a hectare, and World Coffee Research gives a wider potential of 1,500–3,000 kg of green bean a hectare from limited breeder trials, which it says are not yield guarantees.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose S.274 if you want a Robusta that has been in use in India since the late 1940s, intermediate rust resistance and tolerance of nematodes, and you will plant S.270 in the same block. Plan on the farm record of about 1,000 kg a hectare, not the 3,000 kg top of the breeder range. Choose CxR instead if you want the other main Indian Robusta; the Board lists the two together in the same regions. If you have no way to get S.270 plants, do not plant S.274 alone.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeJune to December, with the south-west monsoon (TNAU)
- Seed rateAbout 1,000–2,000 plants a hectare (World Coffee Research); about 1,600 at the 2.5 m spacing TNAU gives for Robusta (our arithmetic)
- SpacingAbout 2.5 m each way for Robusta (TNAU); World Coffee Research notes 3 m × 3 m for S.274
- 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). Mix S.270 and S.274 plants within the block.
- IrrigationA blossom shower in February–March and a backing shower in April–May; 1,000–2,000 mm of rain a year suits Robusta (TNAU)
- FertilizerRobusta, kg N:P₂O₅:K₂O a hectare a year: bearing under 1 t/ha, 80:60:80; bearing 1 t/ha or more, 120:90:120 (TNAU)
- HarvestingHarvest runs November to February, with the main picking in December (TNAU for coffee); World Coffee Research rates S.274 as late ripening
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 1,000–2,000 mm a year
- Climate
- Robusta grows at about 500–1,000 m (TNAU).
Pest & disease considerations
Management notes
- Spray for the berry borer about 120–150 days after flowering, based on monitoring: quinalphos 25 EC at 340 ml in 200 litres of water (TNAU).
- Keep the TNAU rust schedule ready even though resistance is intermediate: 0.5% Bordeaux mixture in February–March, then 0.03% oxycarboxin in May–June.
- Cut criss-cross branches in the monsoon to keep the shade thin enough for air to move (TNAU).
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- The first Robusta selection released by CCRI and a main Robusta in six Coffee Board regions
- Tolerant of nematodes and the shot hole borer, with intermediate leaf rust resistance (World Coffee Research)
- A wide yield potential of 1,500–3,000 kg of green bean a hectare in breeder trials
Things to consider
- Must be planted with S.270: planting S.274 alone reduces fruit set (World Coffee Research)
- The farm record is lower than the breeder range: nearly 1,000 kg a hectare over 35 years of rain-fed testing, against 1,500–3,000 kg in breeder trials
- Medium beans (screen 15–16) and a late-ripening crop, so plan labour and drying space for the end of the season
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Karnataka
- Kerala
- Tamil Nadu
Lay out the S.270 and S.274 pair before you order plants
S.274 and S.270 were released together, and World Coffee Research says they are required to be planted together because separate planting will reduce fruit set. No source gives a ratio between the two, so ask the nursery or the Coffee Board extension office how many of each to order for your block, and write the answer on the order slip.
Draw the block on paper first. At the 2.5 m spacing TNAU gives for Robusta, a hectare holds about 1,600 plants. Mix the two selections row by row or plant by plant so that pollen can travel, and do not give one whole corner to S.270. Mark the rows in your register, so that in year four you can compare fruit set in each part before you decide to fill gaps.
Can you keep your own planting material?
Robusta cross-pollinates, so seed from your own trees will not copy the parent trees and will vary. Buy seedlings or clones of S.274 and S.270 from the Coffee Board or a registered nursery. CCRI is also shortlisting elite mother plants for clonal propagation, with 61 S.274 plants among 162 shortlisted in its 2019-22 survey.
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) | 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)this page | 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
Why must I plant S.270 with S.274?
Robusta is an out-crossing species, so a plant sets better fruit with pollen from a different genotype. World Coffee Research lists S.274 as a mix of S.270 and S.274 that are required to be planted together, because separate planting will reduce fruit set. If you only have S.274 plants, add S.270 before the first flowering.
Is "India Kaapi Royale" a Coffee Board grade made from S.274?
We found no Coffee Board definition of it. Sellers use Kaapi Royale as a trade name for premium washed Robusta, and one trade listing says such a lot is made of S.274 and CxR. So S.274 is a variety, not a grade. Do not pay extra for S.274 plants because of the name.
What yield should I plan on for S.274?
Plan on about 1,000 kg a hectare, which is the average of S.270 and S.274 over 35 years of rain-fed testing (World Coffee Research). The 1,500–3,000 kg a hectare of green bean on the same page comes from limited breeder trials and is not a guarantee. TNAU gives 750–1,000 kg of dry parchment a hectare as the usual coffee yield. Yield depends on shade, rain and how well you manage pollination.
How much fertiliser does a Robusta block like S.274 need?
TNAU gives kg of N:P2O5:K2O a hectare a year: 80:60:80 while the block yields under 1 t/ha, and 120:90:120 at 1 t/ha and above. That is less than the 140:90:120 and 160:120:160 it gives for bearing Arabica. Split the dose over the year and put it down before the monsoon, and have the soil tested first so you do not over-apply.
Sourced from: World Coffee Research — SLN 1R (S.274) variety profile, Coffee Board of India — Coffee regions of India, TNAU Agritech Portal — Coffee, Coffee Board of India — Annual Report 2022-23 (Robusta mother-plant survey). editorial policy.