Farm 5 – Señor Cautivo
Assessment and Recommendations
July 2026
Background
Señor Cautivo is a young, high-quality coffee farm — three years into a new planting of Marseillaise, Tabi and Catuai — with a soil profile that is unusually well balanced for soils in coffee farms in the Andean region. The farm’s soil chemistry is already in a place that most regenerative transitions are working toward and the microbiome is diverse.
There are three specific gaps (phosphorus availability, boron, mycorrhizal partnership) that should be addressed before continuing to build the vegetation
infrastructure that will sustain fertility biologically as the farm matures from establishment into full production.
The reason that the owner stated for wanting to transition the farm to regenerative practices is to have a farm that is in overall good health with healthy soils, while also maintaining the coffee quality and productivity of the farm.
General information
| Location | Cajamarca, Peru |
| Elevation | 1548 m asl |
| Total farm area | 2.0 ha |
| Project area | 2.0 ha |
| Varietal | Geisha and Catuai |
Assessment
Various pieces of information were collected to assess the current state of the farm and provide data on which to base next steps and recommendations for the transiting the farm to regenerative agriculture practices.
Site visits and interviews with the producers were conducted. Soil samples were collected and analyzed for both chemical and biological parameters.
Baseline surveys were conducted to gather information on farm management techniques such as fertilizer and pesticide use, pruning and renovation methods and incidence of pest and diseases.
Existing strengths of the farm
There are many strengths already at this farm from which to build and will serve well as a base for transitioning to regenerative practices. The list below highlights some of its strengths.
Soil Well-balanced
pH 6.4, sufficient calcium and aluminum below the toxic level. No need to correct the soils.
Excellent Organic Matter
8.67%, well above the minimum of 3%. It is the result of the shade trees and careful handling.
Varied Soil Life
720 species of microbes, and a very high capacity to control insects (89%). Good base against the coffee berry borer.
No Herbicides
Weeding is done by hand, composts the pulp and applies Isabion foliar.
Manages Own Nursery
It allows owner to inoculate the root fungi himself before taking the plants to the field.
Young and Premium Coffee
At 3 years old, he already has cupping score of 85 points. There is plenty of time for biology to mature along with plants.
Areas for improvement
The soil at Señor Cautivo has already reached the state that most farms aspire to. There is no need to apply calcium or adjust the pH. The work is targeted: supplying the missing phosphorus, correcting boron levels (via soil or foliar application), and restoring root fungi so the plant can access the available nutrients.
Lack of True Phosphorus
There is 30 lb/acre of phosphorus in reserve and only 0.11 ppm available. In other soils, phosphorus is tied; there it is simply not enough. It must be provided, while simultaneously introducing the biology that drives it.
Available P 0.11 ppm · Goal 1–5 ppm
Very low boron
0.27 ppm in the soil and just 0.03 available, well below the target of 1–2 ppm. Without boron, calcium does not move, pollen is ineffective, and the fruit fails to full mature. It poses a direct risk to specialty-grade quality.
Boron 0.27 ppm ·
Target 1.0–2.0 ppm
No Root Fungi
The ratio is 1:49: AMFs (Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi) are almost non-existent. Without them, coffee has no way of reaching the phosphorus in the soil. In addition, Fusarium oxysporum was detected, with a very high risk.
AMF 1:49 · Fusarium risk 93%
Recommendations and Next Steps
Based on the findings from the assessment, the following phased recommendations have been outlined that will improve the availability of nutrients to the plants, provide natural pest management and create a healthy, productive ecosystem for the coffee to continue to thrive. The recommendations will be discussed with the farm owners this summer and implementation is set to start in the fall.
Phase 1 (first 6 months)
• Apply phosphate rock, boron (borax) 5–8 kg/ha or foliar
• Inoculate AMF fungi in the nursery
• Apply Trichoderma against Fusarium
• Plot contour lines
• Start planning flower stripes
Phase 2 (6-18 months)
• Swap KCl for potassium sulfate
• Increase compost to 5–8 kg per plant per year
• Sow Arachis and Desmodium
• Plant flower strips (6–8 species)
• Plant guaba and Erythrina trees
• Sow Laurel trees
• Start making compost tea
Phase 3 (18-36 months)
• Cut the Desmodium 4 times a year
• Prune Flemingia to regrow
• Sowing Capirona, avocado and macadamia
• Prune guaba and erythrina • Formation Pruning
• Remove the Amistar Top and use Trichoderma
• Review the phosphorus strategy
Summary
Señor Cautivo enters this assessment with a soil chemistry that most regenerative transitions are working toward: pH 6.4, organic matter 8.67%, calcium adequate, aluminum below toxicity, no erosion. The 720-species microbiome is diverse and shows very high latent biocontrol capacity, particularly for insect pests (Principle 1 of Regenerative Coffee).
The work, then, is focused. Address the phosphorus deficit through combined rock phosphate + AMF inoculation — the soil chemistry is already in a state that will support this strategy (Principles 1, 3). Correct the boron deficiency to protect cup quality (Principles 1, 2).
Establish nitrogen-fixing ground cover and densify the shade canopy to progressively replace synthetic nitrogen and build climate buffering (Principles 2, 3). Apply targeted biological inoculation for Fusarium suppression while the plantation is still young (Principles 1, 4). Build pollinator and beneficial insect habitat that converts the surrounding landscape’s biodiversity into farm-level function (Principle 4).
Within three to five years, with the plantation entering peak production, Señor Cautivo can operate as a predominantly biologically driven system — protecting its 85-point cup quality, reducing input costs, and consolidating the soil health that already exists (Principle 5).
Assessment, Recommendations and Summary text and diagrams courtesy of Sam Knowlton, Soil Symbiotics