Coffee Biotechnology: Implications for Crop Improvement and Germplasm Conservation

Advances in biotechnology have revolutionized breeding and processing of many tropical crops, leading to improved crop management. Coffee, one of the most important beverages in the world, is produced in about 80 tropical countries with an annual production of nearly seven million tons of green beans. Many livelihoods in developing countries are dependent on this crop. Explosion of plant biotechnology has led to many advances in the field of coffee production, including breeding and cultivar development, resistance to pests and diseases, quality improvement (aroma, flavor and caffeine content), product diversification, and post harvest technology. The cultivated species of coffee have a very narrow genetic base. Wild species of coffee offer future breeding potential for crop improvement. With many wild species being lost due to various land uses, conservation of these valuable genetic resources in ex situ genebanks and through seed banking become imperative. Utilization of modern biotechnology techniques such as tissue culture, genetic transformation and molecular marker techniques offer great potential for future advances in crop improvement and germplasm conservation.