Coffee leaf rust: Spotting and managing Hemileia vastatrix
Coffee rust or coffee leaf rust is a significant problem in coffee-producing regions. Caused by the fungus Hemileia vastatrix, outbreaks can have a devastating impact on crop yields, rendering coffee cultivation uneconomic wherever it reaches epidemic proportions.
Threats to Coffee Production: What are they and the solutions?
The global coffee industry cultivates over $100 billion in revenue with the world’s population consuming over 500 billion cups per year. Yet with this huge global industry, the coffee we drink today is extremely vulnerable. Out of the 124 species of coffee plants found throughout the world, only two are used to produce commercial coffee,…
Researchers Learn from Plant Viruses to Protect Crops
By Claire Asher. Reblogged from The Scientist magazine. In 2011, Noah Phiri was working with local farmers in Kenya to combat the fungal pathogen that causes coffee leaf rust when another virulent plant disease began wiping out maize in the country’s southwest corner. Infected plants developed pale streaks on their leaves, then wilted and died. Some farmers…
What CABI Is Doing To Tackle Major Coffee Rust Outbreaks In Central America
Guatemala has declared a state of agricultural emergency after coffee rust fungus has affected approximately 193,000ha of coffee, equating to 70% of the national crop. As a result of the outbreak, Guatemala is releasing $13.7m (£8.7m) in emergency aid to help farmers buy pesticides and to inform farmers on ways to manage the disease. Honduras…