Progressive coffee planter hits jackpot

HASSAN: After conducting numerous experiments on his own in his Arabica coffee plantations to increase yield, Mr Dharmaraj has struck upon a method to increase the yield by tackling the spread of White Stem Borer disease, which has been troubling coffee planters for close to a century.

Mr Dharmaraj is way ahead of his counterparts when it comes to yield calculation and the quality of coffee beans. This harvest season, Mr Dharmaraj got 34 bags (each bag weighing 50 kg) of coffee beans in an acre, while some traditional planters get only 20 bags per acre.

Sharing his success mantra with Deccan Chronicle on Saturday, Mr Dharmaraj said that planters neglect maintenance of optimum temperature in an estate. Since, the temperature hovers above 30 degrees Celsius even in Malnad region, watering the estate at the right time is crucial to maintain the optimum temperature, especially during summer which helps in keeping the borer disease at bay.

While traditional estate owners might destroy about 100 borer-affected plants in an acre, Dharmaraj said he destroyed only five such plants. He maintained right amount of proper nutrients such as zinc and others essential were used in his estate, spread over 50 acres, to help coffee plants regain their strength after the harvest season.

Besides, shifting to Chandragiri, which is an improved variety of coffee, has also helped as it is disease resistant. “I spend about Rs 80,000 for Arabica plantation and I am rewarded. I’m happy with it,” he said Mr Dharmaraj.

In 2013, Mr Dharmaraj was the recipient of best grower award for producing 37 bags (Chandragiri) in an acre, which was highest at that time. Despite erratic rainfall and unfavourable conditions, Mr Dharmaraj managed to keep coffee production to around 30 bags per acre over the last three years.

Joint Director of Coffee Board, Hemanth Kumar, said that other planters should emulate Mr Dharmaraj. As the word has spread, planters from Chikkamagaluru and Madikeri have been visiting Mr Dharmaraj’s estate to know more about tackling the borer infestation and other methods to increase yield.