Grafting in Agriculture, is a technique where tissues of different plants are joined to continue their growth together. This technique seeks to obtain the best of each of the varieties. Generally in plant breeding, the greater the genetic distance between the two parents, the more "vigorous" the child will be (World Coffee Research).
In contrast, SL 28, is a variety, which as we all know, has an excellent cup quality, but it has low productivity and is susceptible to diseases such as Leaf Rust or CBD.
Dr. James and his team are grafting leaves of Ruiru11 (scion) with a root of SL 28 (stock), to create resistant varieties of high productivity, with the capacity to absorb more nutrients and hopefully, obtain a better quality in the cup .
Enjoy the genetic and organoleptic diversity of your Kenyan coffee!