Effects of Yields, Shade, and Varieties on Size of Coffee Beans

Abstract

The effects of yields, shade provided by trees, and varieties, on size of coffee beans was determined under typical conditions in the Coffee Region of Puerto Rico. Yields of export grade beans (> 17/64 inch) increased rapidly with total yields; however, the proportion of these beans was highest when yields of market coffee dropped below 10 hundredweights per acre, remaining constant as yields increased beyond this point. Although yields of export-grade beans were higher in full sunlight, a somewhat higher proportion of these beans was produced under shade trees. The Mundo Nuevo, Puerto Rico 401, and Kent varieties produced the highest proportion and yields of export-grade beans.