title: Mapping the potential beverage quality of coffee produced in the Zona da Mata, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Detailed knowledge of coffee production systems enables optimization of crop management, harvesting and post-harvest techniques. In this study, coffee quality is mapped as a function of coffee variety, altitude and terrain aspect attributes. The work was performed in the Zona da Mata, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A large range of coffee quality grades was observed for the Red Catuai variety. For the Yellow Catuai variety, no quality grades lower than 70 were observed. Regarding the terrain aspect, samples from the southeast-facing slope (SEFS) and the northwest-facing slope (NWFS) exhibited distinct behaviors. The SEFS samples had a greater range of quality grades than did the NWFS samples. The highest grade was obtained from an NWFS point. The lowest quality values and the largest range of grades were observed at lower altitudes. The extracts from the highest-altitude samples did not produce any low-quality coffee.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The production site's position and altitude are the primary variables that influenced the coffee quality. The study area has micro-regions with grades ranging from 80 to 94. These areas have the potential for producing specialty coffees. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Engenharia Rural, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Alegre, ES, 29500-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Samuel de Assis
authors.initials: Sde A
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Engenharia Agrícola, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, 36.570-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniel Marçal
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: de Queiroz
authors.affiliation: Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária, Viçosa, MG, 36.570-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Williams Pinto Marques
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Engenharia Agrícola, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, 36.570-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo Cesar
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Corrêa
authors.affiliation: Centro de Excelência do Café, Viçosa, MG, 36.570-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Luis Dos Santos
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Rufino
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods; D000531:Altitude; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001628:Beverages / Q000032:analysis / Q000592:standards*; D001938:Brazil; D040503:Coffea / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification; D003069:Coffee / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000592:standards*; D063427:Food Quality; D062305:Geographic Mapping; D011786:Quality Control; D013649:Taste
chemical_list: D003069:Coffee
keywords: Catuai; Coffea arabica L.; aspect; cup quality; spatial variability