Summary

The success of the Australian wine industry is built on the development of objective scientific analyses of all stages of wine production. The success of this industry can be a model for coffee production. Objective measures of coffee quality which are targeted to the Australian coffee industry are yet to be developed.

The objective of this proposal is to improve coffee quality by developing tools for the objective measurement of coffee quality. We will identify the secondary metabolite profile of a range of coffee cultivars which are important to the Australian coffee industry and link these to coffee quality (coffee cupping). This will provide tools for improved management practices which lead to these desirable characteristics.

The coffee industry will be better placed to deliver a consistent supply of high quality product to the market which will allow growers and processors to more easily engage in environmentally friendly practices. Better quality coffee means the coffee industry will be better positioned to offer more reliable employment to the residents of regional Australia.

Program

New and Emerging Plant Industries

Research Organisation

Southern Cross University

Objective Summary

The objective of this proposal is to improve coffee quality by developing tools for the objective measurement of coffee quality. The secondary metabolite profile of a range of coffee cultivars will be identified which are important to the Australian coffee industry and these will be linked to coffee quality (coffee cupping). This will provide tools for improved management practices which lead to these desirable characteristics.

The outcome of this research will be a suite of objective analytical tools which will have the power to predict final cupping quality. Monitoring the secondary metabolites during processing and linking these data to final cupping quality will identify that part of the process where this predictive power is greatest.

This project will address the National Research Priorities of an Environmentally Sustainable Australia, Safeguarding Australian and Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries and each of the underlying Rural Research Priorities. This will be achieved by using new and existing technology to improve productivity, profitability, sustainability, resilience and adding value to the coffee industry and the Australian rural sector as a whole. Enhanced productivity releases land for environmental benefit.

By better understanding coffee quality, maintenance of coffee quality will be facilitated while developing coffee varieties which are better adapted to a changing climate and new biosecurity threats.