Description

The Coffee Research Foundation released another disease-resistant variety in 2010; the Batian. The Batian can resist CBD and CLR. But what makes the Batian exceptional, is the morphological features similar to the SL28. In the field, you might mistake a Batian for an SL28. And in the cup, the Batian matches the quality of the SL varieties.

Batian is an interesting variety. Because it combines the best of both worlds.

• It is resistant to CBD and CLR.
• Gives farmers a high yield; with a plant density of 1900 trees per hectare.
• The ripening of cherries comes earlier than the traditional varieties.
• The bean size is bigger than other Kenyan varieties.
• And the quality is high; it even competes with the SL28 and SL34.

On top of this, the Batian comes into production after 1½ years. The Batian is a tall variety with bronze-green leaves and very large cherries and beans, just like the SL34. If we dive into the lineage of the cultivar, we find that the Batian is a composite of beautiful varieties. The Batian has traces of SL34, SL28, K7, SL4, Rume Sudan, N39, and even the Timor Hybrid.

The Batian holds the potential to become Kenya’s most wanted variety but it’s very sensitive to acidic soils.