Recently the Center for Research and Technology Transfer for Industrial and Fruit Crops (Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Lâm Đồng) successfully tested an entirely new production model: a coffee plantation with three coffee varieties and two crop layers. We visited Bảo Lộc and Bảo Lâm to learn more. Early assessments by experts suggest this could become a promising model for Lâm Đồng’s coffee-growing regions in the future.
Three Coffee Varieties—Staggered Harvest
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Instead of planting a single coffee variety as usual, the Center’s trial combines three groups of Robusta varieties:
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Early-ripening (normal harvest season) varieties such as TS-1, TR-11;
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Medium/late varieties such as TS-4, TR-4, TR-11;
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Late-ripening (off-season) varieties such as TR-9, TR-16.
In the Central Highlands coffee typically ripens in early October and is harvested within about a month. But the southern Central Highlands (including Lâm Đồng) naturally produces some valuable late-ripening varieties like TR-9 and TR-16. By arranging these three ripening groups across a single plantation, harvest time is stretched from early October through late January.
Trial plots were first established on 0.5 ha at the Center’s experimental station in Đạm Bri (Bảo Lâm). Encouraged by results, in 2008 the team convinced grower Nguyễn Xuân Bách to graft his 6 ha farm in Lộc Tân with the “three-layer” system. After three years of observation, Center director engineer Phan Hải Triều reported strong results in yield, quality, and farm management.
How the Planting Is Arranged?
Based on topography and the different drought tolerance of each variety:
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Hilltop / inner ring: late-ripening TR-9 and TR-16, which endure dry months (December–January) yet still produce large, high-quality beans—yields up to 6–7 tons/ha, about double many common varieties.
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Mid-slope ring: medium-ripening TS-4, TR-4, fruiting in November—an intermediate harvest.
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Lower slopes / outer ring: early-ripening TS-1, TR-11, which prefer higher soil moisture.
This pattern naturally staggers harvests, reduces peak labor demand, and lessens pressure from coffee theft—farmers can pick fruit as it ripens instead of rushing to strip everything at once. It also allows growers to time sales to market fluctuations and may even fetch higher prices when late-season supply is scarce.
Added Value with Fruit Trees
Within each hectare of “three-layer” coffee, growers interplant about 100 avocado trees. Each tree yields roughly 200 kg per year; at about 15,000 VND/kg, avocados add a significant income stream. The shade and windbreak trees that support the coffee also serve as living trellises for the fruit trees, helping prevent erosion and improving the micro-climate.
Toward a “Three-Variety, Two-Layer” Farm
For the next phase, the Center plans to integrate a second crop layer—such as avocado or durian—on part of farmer Hùng’s 20 ha plantation in Lộc An. The target mix: 25 % early, 50 % medium-late, and 25 % late coffee varieties, plus about 100 avocado trees per hectare. This would further raise economic returns while enhancing wind protection and slope stability.
Outlook
Although still in its pilot stage in Bảo Lâm, this “three coffee varieties, two crop layers” model has already drawn strong interest among Central Highlands agronomists. By diversifying varieties and crops, it offers:
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A longer harvest window (3–4 months).
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Reduced theft and labor bottlenecks.
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Higher, more stable income from both coffee and fruit.
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Better soil and ecosystem management, supporting sustainable coffee production.
Specialists view it as an innovative blueprint for the future of Lâm Đồng’s coffee industry.