S.795 (Selection 795)
The oldest and most widely planted Arabica selection in India, released in 1945–46 from S.288 × Kent. Large, bold beans and a balanced cup, but its rust tolerance has worn thin: more than 35 rust races now occur in India.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Coffee
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- All seasons
- Starts bearing
- First crop in about year 4 (World Coffee Research); TNAU treats Arabica as bearing from year 5
- Seed rate
- About 3,000–4,000 plants a hectare (about 1,200–1,600 an acre) under single-stem pruning (World Coffee Research)
- Expected yield
- About 700–1,200 kg clean coffee/ha (TNAU); a CCRI record from the Pulneys puts it near 400 kg an acre
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Relative tolerance to leaf rust when released; rated low resistance in India today (World Coffee Research) and susceptible to leaf rust, nematodes and the white stem borer in the Coffee Board germplasm profile (SICC, ARA-06), which rates it resistant to the shot hole borer — so it needs regular Bordeaux sprays
- Release
- Released 1945–46 by the Central Coffee Research Institute (CCRI), Balehonnur; also called Selection 3 (Sln.3)
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
S.795, also called Selection 3 (Sln.3), is the Arabica that built Indian coffee. The Central Coffee Research Institute released it in 1945–46 from a cross of S.288 (a natural hybrid of Arabica and Liberica) and Kent. The Coffee Board calls it by far the most popular Arabica selection of the 1940s, with high yield, bold beans, good quality and relative tolerance to leaf rust, and lists it as the main variety in 11 coffee regions. World Coffee Research describes a tall plant with large beans, bronze leaf tips and a first crop in about year 4. The same profile rates its leaf rust resistance low in India, even though it did well in trials in other countries. CCRI says more than 35 rust races now occur in Indian coffee tracts, which is the reason a 1940s selection needs a spray programme today. TNAU gives a yield of 700–1,200 kg a hectare with about 75% A-grade beans.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose S.795 if you want the Arabica with the longest record in India: large beans, an A-grade share of about 75% and a plant that suits medium to high altitude. Be ready for the cost of rust control, because it is rated low in resistance here today. Choose Chandragiri or Cauvery if rust has already cost you crop, since both come from Hybrido de Timor and CCRI tracks them as more rust-tolerant. Choose Selection 9 if cup quality is the goal and you can keep your picking and processing clean.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeJune to December, with the south-west monsoon (TNAU)
- Seed rateAbout 3,000–4,000 plants a hectare (about 1,200–1,600 an acre) under single-stem pruning (World Coffee Research)
- SpacingAbout 1.5–2.0 m each way for Arabica (TNAU)
- 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: fly picking of ripe berries October–February, main picking in December for most of the yield, and stripping at the end (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 (Coffee Board); World Coffee Research puts the best quality at medium to high altitude, above about 900 m at India's latitude.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
Management notes
- Spray 0.5% Bordeaux mixture in February–March, then oxycarboxin in May–June, and repeat through the monsoon (TNAU).
- Keep adequate shade; white stem borer attacks Arabica under thin shade.
- Remove diseased twigs and spray 1% Bordeaux mixture for black rot during a monsoon break.
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- The longest record of any Indian Arabica: released in 1945–46 and still the main variety in 11 coffee regions
- Large, bold beans and about 75% A grade (TNAU)
- Tall, vigorous plant that does well at medium to high altitude
Things to consider
- Rated low resistance to leaf rust in India today, so the spray programme is not optional
- Susceptible to nematodes (World Coffee Research)
- Yield figures differ: TNAU gives 700–1,200 kg a hectare and a CCRI record from the Pulneys near 400 kg an acre
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Karnataka
- Kerala
- Tamil Nadu
- Andhra Pradesh
Put the rust spray in your budget before you plant S.795
A CCRI paper says leaf rust can cut the crop by as much as 70% in susceptible cultivars when control is skipped, and that more than 35 rust races now occur in India. World Coffee Research rates S.795 as low in resistance in India, and a CCRI record of selections tested in the Pulneys says it gave about 400 kg an acre there and needed regular Bordeaux sprays.
TNAU gives the routine: 0.5% Bordeaux mixture in February–March, then 0.03% oxycarboxin in May–June, repeated through the monsoon. Add the cost of copper, labour and a sprayer to your plan before you count the beans. If you cannot keep that up on every block, look at a more rust-tolerant selection for the part of the estate that is hardest to reach.
Can you keep your own planting material?
This is an open-pollinated variety, so seed from a healthy crop of your own can be sown again. Keep seed only from disease-free plants, dry it properly, store it cool and dry, and bring in fresh certified seed every three to four years so the variety does not drift.
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) | 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)this page | 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 S.795 still worth planting given how old it is?
Yes, where you can keep up the spray programme. It is still the main Arabica in 11 Coffee Board regions, with large beans and about 75% A grade (TNAU). But a CCRI record from the Pulneys shows it needs regular Bordeaux sprays, and World Coffee Research rates its rust resistance low in India. If rust has already hurt your estate, Chandragiri or Cauvery are the more rust-tolerant choices.
Why is a coffee variety valued for rust resistance now called susceptible in India?
Because rust resistance in coffee belongs to particular rust races, not to rust as a whole. CCRI says more than 35 rust races now occur in India, and the fungus keeps changing, so resistance in released varieties breaks down over time. S.795 was released in 1945–46, before most of these races, and World Coffee Research rates it low in resistance in India even though it did well in trials in other countries.
Is S.795 the same as Sln.9?
No. S.795 is Selection 3 (S.288 × Kent, released 1945–46). Selection 9 is a different, later cross of Hybrido de Timor and Tafarikela. A few papers and trade pages mix up the two names, so check the exact name on the plant label.
How many S.795 plants should I put in a hectare, and how far apart?
World Coffee Research gives 3,000–4,000 plants a hectare for S.795 under single-stem pruning, and TNAU gives 1.5–2.0 m each way for Arabica. At 1.8 m each way that is about 3,100 plants. Dig pits of 45 cm each way, put 500 g rock phosphate in each, and plant the lower shade (dadap) and the permanent shade (silver oak) at the same time.
Why do sources give different yields for S.795?
TNAU gives 700–1,200 kg of clean coffee a hectare, and a CCRI record from the Pulneys gives about 400 kg an acre (roughly 990 kg a hectare). Some coffee websites quote 1,500–2,000 kg a hectare, but we found no trial that supports it, so it is not used here. Yield depends on shade, rust control, altitude and rain. Weigh your own block for two seasons before you plan on a number.
Sourced from: Coffee Board of India — Coffee regions of India, TNAU Agritech Portal — Coffee, World Coffee Research — S795 variety profile, SICC coffee germplasm — S.795 (ARA-06), reference Coffee Board of India / CCRI Balehonnur, Das, Shivanna and Prakash (CCRI), J. Hortl. Sci. 16(2), 2021 — F1 hybrids and field tolerance to leaf rust, Counter Culture — India's Arabica coffee varieties (CCRI release list). editorial policy.