| Starmaya coffee | |
|---|---|
| Species | Coffea arabica |
| Hybrid parentage | CIR-SM01 x Marsellesa |
| Breeder | CIRAD |
| Origin | Nicaragua |
| Coffee Variety Information | |
|---|---|
| Stature | Dwarf |
| Leaf Tip Color | Green |
| Bean Size | Large |
| Quality Potential | Very Good |
| Yield Potential | High |
| Coffee Leaf Rust | Resistant |
| Coffee Berry Disease (CBD) | Unknown |
| Nematodes | Unknown |
| WCR Variety Catalog: Starmaya | |
Starmaya is an F1 hybrid coffee tree that can be propagated by seed rather than through somatic embryogenesis (SE). It was propagated from a parent plant that is male-sterile. This facilitates controlled pollination because breeders do not have to manually castrate each individual flower of the autogamous coffee tree.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
The Starmaya tree was found to have a high fruit yield potential, resistance to coffee leaf rust, and the potential (when grown at higher altitudes) to produce a beverage of very good quality. It was also found to be effectively propagated in a seed garden. Starmaya is the first F1 hybrid coffee tree effectively propagated by seed garden, proving a cheaper and easier method of F1 hybrid propagation than the more expensive and technically difficult SE method.[1]
Starmaya coffee is being registered for intellectual property rights protection through the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV).[7]