The yield and economic potential of local robusta coffee in Bangka Belitung

Abstract Coffee is an important commodity for the economy of the Bangka Belitung people. The development of people’s coffee plants becomes more efficient by utilizing local genetic sources. The description of the yield and economic potential of local coffee plants is useful for determining strategies for developing coffee plants in Bangka Belitung. The research was aimed to identify the yield and economic potential of local robusta coffee in Bangka Belitung. The research was conducted using the purposive sampling method on three healthy and vigorous coffee plants in people’s coffee plantation located in several villages in Bangka Tengah Regency, namely Lampur, Celuak, Pading; Bangka Regency, namely Petaling Banjar, Mengkubung; and Belitung Timur Regency, namely Jangkang and Limbongan. The yield potential b “Descriptors for Coffee (Coffea spp. and Psilanthus spp.)” by the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI). The observations of yield characteristics are displayed tabularly and descriptively. Phenotype variability were analyzed using the formula suggested by Singh & Chaudari (1979). The feasibility of coffee farming was analyzed using the Benefit Cost Ratio (net B/C ratio) and Internal rate of return (IRR) equation. The results of the study showed that the yield characteristics of local robusta coffee in Bangka Belitung were diverse with narrow phenotypic variability. Based on the number of productive branches, number of internodes, number of bunches, number of fruits per bunch, and weight of 100 dry bean, the Petaling Banjar accession has the highest yield. Financially, coffee farming is feasible as a plantation crop business for coffee farmers in Bangka Belitung.