Botany & Ecology

El Salvador producers the Arabic species only. The main varieties found are Bourbon, which comprises 80% of the existing plantations, Pacas accounts for 15% and the rest includes Pacamara and dwarfs varieties such as Caturra, Catuai and Catisic.

In most of the best coffee-growing regions rainfall is significantly above 71 “annually and is well distributed throughout the year with a drier period of four to six months. The rainy season in El Salvador normally begins in may and lasts until the start of October with an average annual rainfall of 79”. The effects of temperature and altitude are mitigated by the presence of shade trees, which reduce light intensity and help to retain soil moisture.

Shade trees create a forest-like environment that protects the local fauna and serves as a temporary refuge for migratory birds. According to the Audubon Society, taken together, Mexico, Central America and The Caribbean provide the yearly destination for more than a third of all migratory bird species that breed in the United Estates (200 or more different kinds of them).

Coffee plantation in El Salvador have been officially classified as forest. Researchers at the National University found 66 species of trees and shrubs and 73 wildlife species on a single farm. Although the current trend in most countries is to reduce shade and to assist growth by greater use of fertilizers and irrigation, in El Salvador the shade tree plantation has proven to be the most appropriate system of production.