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The frost came surprisingly and quickly: in the early morning hours of July 20th, temperatures dropped below 0 degrees Celsius within minutes, and cold air was trapped in the lower-lying areas of Fazenda da Lagoa. When coffee plants have been exposed to frost, the vessels rupture, the tissue dies and subsequently turns black. While everything still looked good after sunrise, more and more plants darkend in the following few hours, as Amaral Oliveira and Avelar report. Out of 95 coffee fields in Da Lagoa, 30 were affected by frost to varying degrees. Frost damage was discovered on 208 of the total 1,688 hectares, or about 12.3% of the total area. The estimated loss for the 2022/2023 crop is currently 8,309 bags.
In general, the best conditions for successful coffee cultivation prevail at Fazenda da Lagoa. 1,409.6 hectares of natural land cover the coffee fields and provide a balanced environment, 66 water sources guarantee the water supply. The red Oxisol soil with high clay content can store a lot of water and nutrients, and the average altitude of 1050 meters above sea level is optimal for a coffee plantation.
Coffee plants damaged by frost
Even more than the frost event in July, emphasizes Hans Faessler, increasing drought and extreme rainfall threaten the plants and the harvest. Intervals between rainfall events have become much longer and dry spells more frequent, compared to previous years. Rainfall is no longer evenly distributed, with either far too much rain or none at all. A lack of water damages the coffee plants after only a short time and ensures that the branches do not grow properly; too much rain washes out the soil. In addition, there is a continuous rise in temperature in recent years. The plants are subjected to more stress by all these influences, which leads to greater leaf loss and consequently reduces production potential.
NKG Fazenda da Lagoa is thus fighting on several fronts to ensure coffee production. Since no variety of coffee plant is frost-resistant, there is accordingly no effective protection against frost damage, except to stop planting at lower altitudes. Only the coffee seedlings in the nursery can be protected when frost threatens – as happened on July 20th: Before the sun rose, the approximately 300,000 seedlings were watered, which kept the temperature above the 0 degree threshold. Thus, the plants and their planting in November were safe.
While frost damage was limited to lower-lying areas, drought causes widespread damage over the entire area. Which measures have been taken at Fazenda da Lagoa, Tiago Amaral Oliveira and Patrik Avelar present to us (see photo gallery). Hans Faessler adds that the first explorations for possible irrigation are underway, as he expects extreme weather to intensify in the coming years.
1. Planting jumbo plants
Jumbo plants are seedlings grown in the nursery for 10-11 months. They have a stronger root system than the conventional six-month-old seedlings and can therefore grow faster in depth and find more water there.
2. High density hedge cultivation
The applied high planting density leads to a total soil cover under the plants, which on the one hand eliminates the competitive weeds but also protects the soil from direct sunlight. The soil cooled in this way “sweats” less and the soil moisture is retained better and longer.
3. Gypsum application
Gypsum is a very reactive soil conditioner consisting of calcium sulfate that transports soil bases to deeper layers. Coffee roots follow these nutrients and reach much deeper layers where the soil holds more moisture.
4. Water basins
Water basins reduce the flow rate of rainwater, increase the protection of the soil from erosion, and the capacity of the soil to absorb water so that soil moisture rises and more water is available for the plants.
One of NKG’s approaches for a more sustainable supply chain is the new program NKG Verified. With Verified, NKG wants to improve supply chain traceability and compliance with key sustainability criteria.
Integrity is not only an abstract concept for Mary Stella, Corporate Accounting NKG India, but a concrete mission. When trying to achieve her goals, Mary Stella only needs NKG’s Code of Conduct to win the person she is talking to over. She even introduced the Code of Conduct to the GST (Goods and Services Tax Council) and convinced them from our worldwide practices at NKG. Her colleagues are very glad to work with such a respectful, friendly and confident person. All of this together with her high work ethics makes Mary Stella not only a great person to work with, but also a perfect “NKG Integrity Champion”. Congratulations, Mary Stella!
We have great news to share about NKG Learning: after using our platform mainly for NKG Code of Conduct trainings, there will be a lot more courses coming in the new year.
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