Abstract
Coffee is one of the most important cash crops and beverages in the world. Production of coffee is limited by many factors, which include insect pests and diseases, among others. One of the most devastating coffee diseases in many coffee-producing countries is Coffee Leaf Rust caused by the fungus Hemileia vastatrix. Kenya is a coffee-producing country and has conducted studies to understand and manage the disease. Management strategies for the disease include the development and use of fungicide spray programs, cultural control practices, breeding resistant coffee varieties, and biological control agents. This paper reviews the status of the disease and management options applied in Kenya.
Highlights
Coffee is an important crop and beverage in the world, creating incomes for over 125 million people
The West of the Rift Valley experiences a bimodal rainfall distribution with the peak of the long rains occurring in the months of March–May and the short rains in September–December while some areas have a third minor peak during the months of June–July–August [20]. These weather patterns affect the epidemics of Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR) with the peak of the disease coming soon after the rainy seasons when it fully sporulates from latent infections that occur during the rainy season, but they sporulate when temperatures rise after the rains [21,22]
This review paper provides an insight into research efforts made into understanding the biology of the pathogen, efforts done in Kenya in breeding for CLR resistant coffee varieties, and other management practices adopted
Summary
Coffee is an important crop and beverage in the world, creating incomes for over 125 million people. The West of the Rift Valley experiences a bimodal rainfall distribution with the peak of the long rains occurring in the months of March–May and the short rains in September–December while some areas have a third minor peak during the months of June–July–August [20] These weather patterns affect the epidemics of CLR with the peak of the disease coming soon after the rainy seasons when it fully sporulates from latent infections that occur during the rainy season, but they sporulate when temperatures rise after the rains [21,22]. Understanding and managing CLR has been a focus of research internationally for a long and the recent devastating effects of the disease, coffee-growing countries have enhanced efforts to initiate more research aimed at alleviating the threat of leaf rust through their national research institutions, partners, and international research centers [23]. This review paper provides an insight into research efforts made into understanding the biology of the pathogen, efforts done in Kenya in breeding for CLR resistant coffee varieties, and other management practices adopted
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