Hernán Gonzalez-Osorio
Scientific Researcher, Cenicafé,
National Center for Coffee Research – Chinchina, Colombia
Thursday November 7th, at 3:30pm, HORT 117 or via Zoom
“Sustainable soil management and coffee nutrition. Strategies within reach for Colombian coffee growers.”
Coffee plays a vital role in Colombia’s economy. This crop is the livelihood of approximately 552,000 families, most of them (96%) smallholders working in a full complex of soils and environmental interactions. The National Federation of Coffee Growers, through their scientific research program carried out by Cenicafé, aims to generate recommendations focused on resilient and profitable crops. One crucial aspect of this effort is fertilization, a key practice for achieving optimal coffee production and quality. However, local farmers are reliant on synthetic fertilizers, 100% of which are imported, making Colombia heavily dependent on international trade. In this seminar, we will present a general overview of Colombian coffee production, discussing different strategies developed by Cenicafé to address current and future challenges, while integrating insights from the Soil Microbial Ecology lab at Purdue University to support a sustainable and profitable program of coffee nutrition in Colombia.