Genetic study on the physical properties of Coffea arabica L. wood

International audienceThe physical characteristics of wood are not usually considered as selection criteria when breeding perennial species that are grown for their fruits or seeds. In the coffee tree, stem breakage during harvesting and lodging during the growth period are major defects in some cultivars. These defects are linked to certain physical and mechanical properties of the wood, such as density or rigidity, which can be characterized by a parameter used in the resistance of materials: the Modulus of Elasticity (MOE). Wood density and the longitudinal MOE were studied on the stems of coffee trees of the species Coffee arabica L., derived from a diallel mating design. The MOE was measured by an acoustic system based on an analysis of the vibrations produced by a blow to the end of a piece of wood of known geometry. The MOE obtained in that way, along with the density of coffee tree stem wood, displayed substantial heritability. A strong link between the average internode length and the yield cumulated over 4 years was detected. Wood density was also correlated to yield and wood elasticity. Classification of parents according to the wood characteristics of their progenies depended on their degree of introgression by the species C. canephora. These traits could therefore be used to measure introgression, possibly as predictors of traits of agronomic interest, and as target traits in the creation of tall C. arabica varieties