Coffee rust
Coffee rust is considered to be the most
destructive
economically disastrous disease of coffee. This disease disease of coffee in the world. It is
Later it was reported from Sri Lanka and within was first reportedfrom Africa in 1861.
10 years the entire coffee industry was
Sri Lanka. Since thenall major coffee ruined in
growing countries reported this devastating disease.
Symptoms
Upper leaf symptoms: Initiallysymptoms appear as
leaf surface. These spots expand small, yellowish, oily spots on the upper
into larger spots and finally turn brown with a yellow border.
Lower leaf symptoms: on the corresponding underside
orange powdery lesions (pustules) form. These lesions contain of the leaves, orange yellow to red
masses of fungal spores.
Leafdrop/fall: infected leaves prematurely fall off from the plants
Die back: associated symptoms of die back can be
observed in defoliated twigs
Yield reduction: severely infected plantation showed 50-60%
yield loss.
Etiology
Coffee rust is caused by the fungus Hemileia vastatrix, an obligate
fungal parasite. The
mycelium is septate. In an infected coffee host, the fungus produces urediniospores, which are
typically reniform (kidney-shaped) or ovoid. They are single celled, dikaryotic, orange-yellow
and have an echinulate (warted) convex surface and a smooth, straight, or concave surface. The
fungus also produces teliospores at the end of dry season on older leaves. Teliospores are single
celled, pedicellate, smooth, spherical to napiform and dikaryotic. On germination, cach
teliospore produces four haploid basidiospores on septate promycelium.
Disease cycle
When fungal spores fall on the surface of coffee leaves, spores germinate on the underside of the
leaves and penetrate through the stoma. Mycelia grow intercellularly and produce haustoria that
penetrate into plant cells, absorb nutrients, and eventually kill the cells. As the fungus grows
within the leaf, it eventually forms uredia that contain new urediniospores that erupt through
rupturing the epidernis, causing the characteristic yellow spots on the undersurface of the
leaves. These urediniospores initiate a flesh infection in other healthy leaves or surrounding
plants. Wind and rain play a significant role in spreading urediniospores (fungal spores) from
infected plants to healthy ones. In a favourable condition severalcycle of infection take place. A
single life cycle completes between 4-7 weeks.
The fungus survive in the form of mycelium in the tissues of infected plants and through the
production of urediniospores
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Epidemiology:High humidity and rainfall favour the disease. Optimal conditions for
development include air tenmperatures between 21-25°C and coffee rust
spacing, excessive shade, and inadequate nutrition can 100% relative humidity.Poor
Lanka, where coffee rust first devastated crops, the increase susceptibility to rust. In Sri
disease
season, with infection reaching peak after the rainy season. cycle is closely linked to the rainy
Management
1. Use resistant varieties of coffee in a
2. Collection and destruction of diseasedspecific locality if available.
leaves
3. Maintaining healthy plants and good sanitationand twigs
4. Removíng weeds that may compete with the practices.
coffee plant for nutrients or stress the coffee
plants. This also contributes to maintaining tree health.
5. Pruning, which increases air flow
6. Removíng plants that are weak, oldthrough the trees, reduces humidity.
or already affected by other diseases or pests.
7. Applying plant protection fungicides such as
fungicides. Bordeaux mixture, copper oxychloridecopper based fungicides or systemic
and Kocide 3000 are cost effective
protective fungicides for coffee rust. Hexaconazole (0.1%), Triadimefon
@0.2%) (Triguard
