Skip to main content
. 2014 Dec 1;9(12):e113510. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113510

Table 3. Characteristics associated with the groups that conform the agro-climatic zones proposed for the Colombian coffee-growing regions.

Agro-climatic zone or group (ACG) Coffee area and lands Departments and representation within the ACG Proportion by Andean range within the ACG Proportion by latitudinal zone and luminosity within the ACG Proportion by variety within the ACG Bioclimatic indicators (range for 80% of coffee farms)
Dep′t Propor. (%) Range Flank Propor. (%) Latitudinal zone/Luminosity Propor. (%) Variety Propor. (%) Indicator Range
1 121,400 ha Antioquia 58 Occidental (Western) East 52 Central-northern 80.4 Caturra 44.8 Altitude (masl) 1400–1940
92,900 farms Caldas 14.4 Central West 7.7 Central-southern 15.7 Colombia 33.6 Solar brightness (h/yr) 1660–1760
Risaralda 10.1 West 20.8 Castillo 18.3 Annual rainfall (mm) 2110–2470
Valle del Cauca 8.2 East 19 Sun 68.2 Typica 3.2 MHD, stage 1 (days) 32–46
Tolima 7.7 Semi-shade 22.9 TA, stage 1 (days) 30–60
Shade 8.8 TT (accumulated, stages 2 and 3) 2150–2650
2 34,000 ha Tolima 30.6 Central East 46.2 Central-southern 52.9 Caturra 53.4 Altitude (masl) 1600–2050
32,700 farms Cauca 16.6 West 30.2 Southern 41.1 Castillo 19.5 Solar brightness (h/yr) 1620–1750
Huila 15.9 Oriental (Eastern) West 13.8 Central-northern 6.1 Colombia 16.7 Annual rainfall (mm) 2010–2400
Nariño 12.4 East 2 Typica 10.3 MHD, stage 1 (days) <32
Cundinamarca 8.6 Occidental East 5.7 Sun 60.2 TA, stage 1 (days) 18–52
Valle del Cauca 6 West 1.1 Semi-shade 30.2 TT (accumulated, stages 2 and 3) 1730–2080
Shade 9.6
3 20,300 ha Antioquia 51.7 Central West 24.2 Central-northern 72.2 Caturra 50.9 Altitude (masl) 1540–2060
19,200 farms Caldas 13.5 East 14.1 Northern 26 Colombia 20.5 Solar brightness (h/yr) 1700–1900
Cesar 10.7 Occidental East 30.6 Castillo 18.7 Annual rainfall (mm) 2570–3100
Risaralda 5.7 West 5.7 Sun 59.4 Typica 9.8 MHD, stage 1 (days) 11–35
Norte de Santander 5.1 Oriental West 12.7 Semi-shade 28.2 TA, stage 1 (days) 10–28
Magdalena 4.4 East 5.2 Shade 12.4 TT (accumulated, stages 2 and 3) 1680–2160
Santander 3.3 Sierra Nevada 6.8
Tolima 3
4 114,700 ha Tolima 26.2 Central West 33.6 Central-southern 56.4 Caturra 35.8 Altitude (masl) 1200–1780
105,200 farms Cauca 22 East 23.1 Southern 42 Colombia 29 Solar brightness (h/yr) 1160–1590
Cundinamarca 16 Oriental West 34 Castillo 20.6 Annual rainfall (mm) 1600–1920
Huila 14.8 Occidental East 7.1 Semi-shade 44.9 Typica 14.6 SHD, stage 1 (days) 80–100
Nariño 11.8 West 2.1 Sun 39.8 TA, stage 1 (days) 33–120
Valle del Cauca 6.6 Shade 15.3 TT (accumulated, stages 2 and 3) 2440–2800
5 54,300 ha Santander 48.6 Oriental West 67.9 Central-northern 55.3 Colombia 34.4 Altitude (masl) 1370–1880
41,600 farms Norte de Santander 25 East 23.5 Northern 44.7 Caturra 28.1 Solar brightness (h/yr) 1940–2060
Boyacá 10.5 Sierra Nevada 8.3 Typica 21.1 Annual rainfall (mm) 2020–2400
Cesar 9.7 Semi-shade 52 Castillo 16.4 MHD, stage 1 (days) 32–57
Magdalena 3.3 Shade 38.2 TT (accumulated, stages 2 and 3) 2100–2490
La Guajira 2.8 Sun 9.7
6 39,500 ha Cesar 43.9 Sierra Nevada 63.2 Northern 100 Typica 43.9 Altitude (masl) 840–1600
10,900 farms Magdalena 42.9 Oriental West 34.8 Caturra 28.8 Solar brightness (h/yr) 1980–2210
La Guajira 10.2 East 1.5 Semi-shade 63 Castillo 14.2 Annual rainfall (mm) 2020–2400
Norte de Santander 2.9 Shade 29.4 Colombia 12.9 MHD, stage 1 (days) 19–29
Sun 7.5 SHD, stage 1 (days) 39–59
TT (accumulated, stages 2 and 3) 2000–2330
7 150,700 ha Risaralda 20.9 Occidental East 34.5 Central-northern 55.1 Colombia 40.4 Altitude (masl) 1270–1800
85,000 farms Caldas 19.7 West 7.4 Central-southern 36.6 Caturra 34.5 Solar brightness (h/yr) 1670–1870
Valle del Cauca 19.6 Central West 32.7 Northern 8.3 Castillo 18.2 Annual rainfall (mm) 1940–2200
Antioquia 17.9 East 8.8 Typica 6.9 MHD, stage 1 (days) 42–55
Santander 7.9 Oriental West 9.5 Sun 56.9 SHD, stage 3 (days) 26–57
Norte de Santander 6.3 East 7.2 Semi-shade 29.9 TT (accumulated, stages 2 and 3) 2480–2870
Tolima 2.7 Shade 13.1
Quindío 2.5
Boyacá 1.1
8 80,600 ha Huila 70.9 Oriental West 56.6 Southern 76.5 Caturra 59.6 Altitude (masl) 1110–1680
59,900 farms Tolima 15.8 East 9.2 Central-southern 18.6 Castillo 18.4 Solar brightness (h/yr) 1640–2080
Caquetá 3.5 Central East 33.7 Central-northern 4.9 Colombia 18.2 Annual rainfall (mm) 1140–1400
Meta 3.1 Typica 3.7 MHD, stage 2 (days) 20–40
Casanare 2.4 Sun 76 SHD, stage 3 (days) 60–80
Cauca 2.1 Semi-shade 19 TT (accumulated, stages 2 and 3) 2430–3050
Shade 5
9 95,700 ha Caldas 29.8 Central West 34.5 Central-northern 69.6 Colombia 40 Altitude (masl) 1080–1660
63,700 farms Antioquia 24.9 East 33.2 Central-southern 29.1 Caturra 38.6 Solar brightness (h/yr) 1360–1660
Tolima 14 Occidental East 21.8 Northern 1.3 Castillo 18.8 Annual rainfall (mm) 2010–2300
Quindío 9.7 West 3 Typica 2.6 MHD, stage 1 (days) 26–46
Risaralda 8.2 Oriental West 7.4 Sun 69.6 MHD, stage 3 (days) 31–51
Cundinamarca 6.2 Semi-shade 22 TT (accumulated, stages 2 and 3) 2690–3210
Valle del Cauca 6 Shade 8.3
10 21,100 ha Norte de Santander 35.3 Oriental West 42.4 Northern 53.4 Colombia 36.5 Altitude (masl) 820–1520
11,800 farms Santander 30 East 33.5 Central-southern 23.9 Caturra 28.7 Solar brightness (h/yr) 1510–1770
Valle del Cauca 23.9 Central West 23.6 Central-northern 22.7 Typica 20.2 Annual rainfall (mm) 1830–2140
Cesar 7.1 Castillo 14.6 MHD, stage 1 (days) 33–53
Semi-shade 59 SHD, stage 3 (days) 26–56
Shade 24.6 TT (accumulated, stages 2 and 3) 2830–3390
Sun 16.4
11 69,700 ha Huila 60.6 Central East 58.9 Southern 66.8 Caturra 60.6 Altitude (masl) 1360–1860
52,000 farms Tolima 24.2 West 3.1 Central-southern 30 Castillo 18.9 Solar brightness (h/yr) 1450–1660
Cauca 5.4 Oriental West 31.2 Central-northern 3.2 Colombia 15.5 Annual rainfall (mm) 1640–1900
Valle del Cauca 4.9 East 4.8 Typica 5 MHD, stage 3 (days) 19–62
Boyacá 2.3 Occidental West 1.3 Sun 76 SHD, stage 3 (days) 14–75
East 0.5 Semi-shade 18.6 TT (accumulated, stages 2 and 3) 2060–2580
Shade 5.3
12 124,100 ha Cauca 36 Central West 56.5 Southern 55.2 Caturra 49.8 Altitude (masl) 1490–1920
130,600 farms Nariño 14.3 East 13.2 Central-southern 41.9 Castillo 20.1 Solar brightness (h/yr) 1590–1750
Tolima 10.8 Oriental West 16.8 Central-northern 2.8 Colombia 19.9 Annual rainfall (mm) 1690–1900
Cundinamarca 10.7 Occidental East 10.1 Typica 10.2 MHD, stage 1 (days) 38–76
Quindío 10.6 West 3.3 Semi-shade 43.6 MHD, stage 3 (days) 14–39
Valle del Cauca 9.2 Sun 43.2 SHD, stage 1 (days) 8–75
Huila 8.6 Shade 13.2 TT (accumulated, stages 2 and 3) 2140–2470