Mr. M. P. Ashok Kumar is a senior coffee planter from Ashoka Estate, Pariyaram (P.O.), Kalpetta North, Wayanad District, Kerala – 673122. He inherited his 45-acre Robusta coffee estate from his father, Mr. Padmaraju Gowder, who cultivated coffee using traditional methods, maintaining plant heights of 4–5 feet with spacing of 8’×8’ and 10’×10’, along with pepper vines on shade trees.

With over 50 years of experience in coffee cultivation, Mr. Ashok Kumar constantly questioned the limitations of the traditional horizontal coffee-growing model. He observed that restricted canopy spread reduced productivity and required intensive pruning, centring, and handling. Climate change further impacted pepper cultivation, eventually leading to a mono-crop system focused solely on Robusta coffee.

Driven by innovation and the belief that necessity is the mother of invention, he undertook extensive trial-and-error experimentation to develop and stabilize a vertical coffee cultivation model. Through regular field observations, he identified significant yield variations in Robusta plants due to their cross-pollinated nature. Elite, consistently high-yielding plants were selected and used as scion material for grafting onto low-performing plants.

This approach enabled the development of a multi-tier vertical canopy system with multiple suckers per plant. Once fully established, this system significantly enhanced productivity. For the past 15 years, Mr. Ashok Kumar has successfully stabilized an average yield of approximately 2 metric tonnes of clean coffee per acre, with the potential to reach 3 MT per acre, setting the foundation for a global productivity benchmark.

The success of this model is supported by scientific soil management, including soil testing, nutrient application based on recommendations, and regular soil pH correction through liming to ensure optimal nutrient uptake. A key advantage of the vertical model is its ability to accommodate nearly double the plant population compared to conventional cultivation methods, thereby maximizing land use efficiency.

Mr. Ashok Kumar’s pioneering work stands as a remarkable example of innovation, sustainability, and productivity enhancement in coffee cultivation, offering valuable insights for planters worldwide.