Scientists in Madrid have successfully sequenced the highest-quality reference genome of the popular coffee variety, Arabica, revealing its secrets and lineage. The study suggests that Arabica was developed over 600 thousand years ago in the forests of Ethiopia through natural crossing between two other coffee species. The research team used genomic information from plants alive today to paint an accurate picture of Arabica’s long history and understand the relationships between modern cultivated varieties.
Arabica is the primary source of around 60 percent of the world’s coffee products. However, due to its low genetic diversity, it is susceptible to pests and diseases, limiting its cultivation to select regions with optimal growing conditions. Understanding the origins and breeding history of contemporary Arabica varieties is crucial for developing new cultivars that are better adapted to climate change.
The new reference genome has been made publicly available in a digital database, providing valuable insights into Arabica’s genetic makeup and history. Using cutting-edge DNA sequencing technology, the researchers sequenced 39 varieties of Arabica and an 18th-century specimen used by Carl Linnaeus to name the species.
The study revealed that Arabica was formed as a natural hybridization between Coffea canephora and Coffea eugenioides without human intervention. The researchers used computational modeling to pinpoint the likely timeframe of Arabica’s creation between 610,000 to one million years ago. This suggests that Arabica predates modern humans and coffee cultivation.
Coffee cultivation is believed to have originated primarily in Yemen around the 15th century and spread globally through the legendary seven seeds smuggled by the Indian monk Baba Budan. The diversity of Yemeni coffee varieties may have laid the foundation for the main Arabica varieties grown today.
In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into
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