KENYA AGRICULTURAL & LIVESTOCK RESEARCH ORGANIZATION

KENYA AGRICULTURAL & LIVESTOCK RESEARCH ORGANIZATION
COFFEE RESEARCH INSTITUTE
TELEPHONE: 020 2176420, 020 2176427
CELL PHONE: 0733-333 060/0724-527 611
When replying please quote
P.O. Box 4 00232 RUIRU
KENYA
E-mail: director.cri@kalro.org
Website: www.kalro.org
REVIEW OF BATIAN SPACING
Please note that the disease resistant coffee varieties Batian and Ruiru 11 allows
for closer spacing far below the conventional 2.74m by 2.74m adopted for the
disease prone traditional coffee cultivars. Thats why Batian spacing was set up at
2m by 2m (6.6ft by 6.6ft) as bare minimum which works well with proper canopy
management, including cutting back of the primaries to reduce lateral expansion
while encouraging younger secondaries for bearing.
However, based on further field observations on Batian especially under farmers’
management since its release, Coffee Research Institute wish to review the
spacing of Batian to 2.1m by 2.5m (7ft by 8ft) i.e for intra row by inter-row
spacing. Further research will inform whether the spacings need to be varied for
different Agro-eco zones and/or topography.
It is also advisable to cap the seedlings at 1 to 1.5 feet from the ground after
they are properly established in the field in order to raise two bearing heads.
All communications should be addressed to the Institute Director
CRI is ISO 9001:2008 Certified
7811-00200, Nairobi, KENYA. Tel: 254-020 41www.kalro.org