S.795 (Selection 795)
India's single most widely grown Arabica since its release in the 1940s — an old, proven selection whose rust resistance now covers fewer of the rust races found in the field than it once did.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Coffee
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- First harvest 3–4 years after planting
- Expected yield
- 1,500–2,000 kg clean coffee/ha/year at full bearing
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Release
- Released 1945–46 · Central Coffee Research Institute, Balehonnur (breeder R. L. Narasimhaswamy)
About this variety
S.795 (Selection 795) is one of India's oldest and most widely planted Arabica selections, developed by R. L. Narasimhaswamy at the Central Coffee Research Institute's Balehonnur station and released in 1945–46. Its reported cross is S.288 (itself a natural C. arabica × C. liberica hybrid, valued for vigorous roots and disease tolerance) × Kent (a Typica-derived selection prized for cup quality and rust tolerance) — confirmed on the Coffee Board of India's own official page. It remains the single most widely grown Arabica in India, covering a reported 25–30% of the country's Arabica acreage, and was one of the first cultivated Arabica strains found tolerant to coffee leaf rust when released. The World Coffee Research variety profile adds a useful nuance: despite testing with high rust resistance in global trials, S.795 is considered susceptible within India itself, given the wider range of local rust races present there — closely matching this record's own 'resistant to races I and II; susceptible to race VIII' framing.
Key characteristics
Soil & climate
Climate
- Climate
- Recommended planting density around 3,000–4,000 plants/ha under single-stem pruning, per the World Coffee Research variety profile; best cup-quality potential reported at higher elevations
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
First harvest 3–4 years after planting
Expected yield
1,500–2,000 kg clean coffee/ha/year 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
- India's single most widely planted Arabica selection, at a reported 25–30% of the country's Arabica acreage, even after more than 80 years in commercial use
- One of the first Arabica strains confirmed tolerant to coffee leaf rust when released — a tall, vigorous growth habit with a reported 14–16 cherries per node
Things to consider
- The World Coffee Research profile's 'susceptible in India' note refers to the overall pattern across India's many local rust races, not a reversal of the race I/II resistance and race VIII susceptibility already stated in this record's own diseaseResistance field — the two are consistent, not contradictory
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Karnataka
- Kerala
- Tamil Nadu
Frequently asked questions
Is S.795 still worth planting given how old it is?
Yes, on land without newer, more aggressive rust races — its quality reputation, proven adaptability and roughly 25–30% share of India's Arabica acreage speak to that. But per this record's own note, growers facing rust races beyond what S.795 covers (races I and II) should consider Cauvery instead, which was bred specifically to close that gap.
Why is a coffee variety valued for rust resistance now described as rust-susceptible in India?
Because rust resistance is race-specific, not universal. S.795 resists races I and II well, which is why it was such an important release in the 1940s, but coffee leaf rust in India includes many more races today, and S.795 was never bred to resist all of them — race VIII in particular gets through. High resistance in global trials against different race mixes does not mean the same variety is resistant everywhere.
Sourced from: S795 coffee — Wikipedia, S795 Variety Profile — World Coffee Research, Indian Coffee Varieties: SLN-795, SLN-9, Chandragiri & Kent — Indian Coffee Beans, Coffee Regions of India — Coffee Board of India. editorial policy.