Pests and Diseases of Coffee Plants

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      Pest and Disease on Coffee Plant

      Coffee is one of the leading plantation commodities which is widely cultivated by farmers, especially on smallholder coffee plantations. However, coffee plants require special attention in their cultivation, especially in dealing with pest and disease attacks which are the main challenges.

      These pest and disease attacks have an impact on productivity, ranging from reducing the quality and quantity of harvests to large economic losses, even the risk of causing crop failure. The following are pests and diseases that are often found in coffee plants.

      Coffee Plant Pests

      Coffee Fruit Borer (Hypothenemus hampei)
      PBKo attacks (Coffee Bean Disease) occur when the coffee cherries begin to harden, at which point the female insects will lay their eggs in the coffee beans. The eggs reproduce in the beans until the coffee cherries are harvested or they fall because they are too ripe.

      Symptoms of attack can be seen from the presence of cracked holes in the coffee fruit disc. As a result of this grinding, the coffee beans will have holes, which has the potential to significantly reduce the quality of the coffee.

      The damage caused can reduce crop yields by 10-40%. PBKo attacks do not only stop after harvest, but can also continue into storage, especially if the moisture content of the coffee beans is still high, making this attack a warehouse pest problem that needs to be watched out for.

      Control of Coffee Fruit Borer Pests can be done as follows:

      1. Technical Cultural Control

      • Powder Picking: Pick all fruit infected with PBKo 15-30 days before the main harvest.
      • Lelesan: Pick up all fallen fruit, whether affected or not.
      • Loot/Loot: Picking all the coffee cherries at the end of the harvest season.
      • Soaking: Soak the powdered, diluted and mixed fruit in hot water (60ยฐC) for 5 minutes to break the PBKo life cycle.
      • Shade Settings: Adjusting the shade so that it is not too dark creates conditions that are not ideal for PBKo development.

      2. Biological Control
      Using parasiticides and insect pathogenic fungi, such as Beauveria bassiana. The recommended dose is 2.5 kg of solid culture or 100 g of pure spores per hectare, with application three times in the harvest season.

      3. Use of Crops that Ripen Simultaneously

      • Arabica: Varieties and USDA 762
      • Robusta: Combination of clones BP 42, BP 288, and BP 234 (lowland); BP 42, BP 358, and BP 409 (highlands).

      4. Use of Traps
      Setting a trap with an attractant compound (such as Hypotan) in it. Traps are installed at a density of 24 per hectare for a minimum of two years, and remain installed after the harvest season ends.

      Branch Powder (Xylosandrus morstati)

      The branchworm (Xylosandrus morstati) is a small beetle with females measuring around 1-1.5 mm. This pest is quite productive, because the female is able to lay up to 50-80 eggs.

      In Indonesia, one type that is often found is Black Branch Powder (Xylosandrus morstati), which is considered more dangerous than other types. This pest attacks young branches or wiwilans on coffee plants aged 6-12 months by making drilled holes about 1 mm in diameter.

      The following are the characteristics of the attack:

      • The drill holes can be found on the side, top or bottom of the branch.
      • In the pith, the pest creates a cavity channel about 3 cm long.
      • Attacked branches often break or become dry.
      • The crane channel cavity is often overgrown with fungus.
      • This pest attack can cause losses of up to 20% of total production.

      To reduce damage caused by branch powder, here are preventative steps:

      • Improving the Condition of Coffee Plants
        Make sure the shade is not too dark during the rainy season to optimize light circulation. Practice good soil cultivation, proper fertilization, and prevent nematodes and root diseases. Healthy coffee plants have the ability to recover affected branches.
      • Controlling Fungal Development
        Reduce shade during the rainy season to prevent excess moisture that supports fungal growth.
      • Eliminate Sources of Infection
        Cut and collect infested and dry branches, then burn them to break the pest life cycle. Avoid using shade trees that are hosts for this pest, such as Crotalaria, oil palm, mahogany, and others.

      Parasitic Nematodes (Pratylenchus coffeae and Radopholus similis)
      Parasitic nematodes such as Pratylenchus coffeae and Radopholus similis is a worm that damages the roots of coffee plants, both at the seedling stage and adult plants.

      Although nematode attacks do not immediately cause death, their impact is very detrimental because the plants become weak and languish for a long time.

      Symptoms of Nematode Attack:

      • Plant growth is stunted so that it looks stunted.
      • Leaves turn yellow, fall easily, and primary branches have difficulty developing.
      • Very little flower and fruit production; fruit is often premature and empty.
      • Fibrous roots rot with a brown or black color.

      Control Strategy
      To overcome parasitic nematode attacks, several effective control measures can be taken:

      1. Removal of Infected Plants:
        Diseased plants should be removed immediately to prevent spread.
      2. Phosphate Fertilization:
        Use phosphate fertilizer to help damaged roots recover.
      3. Nematicide Use:
        Nematicide spraying is effective at the seeding stage.
      4. Selection of Resistant Planting Material:
        When opening new land or replanting, use resistant planting material such as BP 308 rootstock.
      5. Applications of Manure and Biological Agents:
        • Apply 10 kg of manure per tree every 6 months.
        • Add mushrooms Paecilomyces lilacinus strain 251 as much as 20 g per tree every 6 months to suppress nematode populations.

      Coffee Plant Diseases

      Leaf Rust (Hemileia vastratrix)
      Coffee leaf rust is one of the most dangerous diseases that attacks coffee plants throughout the world, especially Arabica coffee. This disease is caused by a fungus Hemileia vastatrix and can be found in all coffee species, although its impact is most severe in arabica.

      The main symptoms of coffee leaf rust include yellow or mottled spots on the upper leaves, as well as orange powder on the underside of the leaves. In the early stages, the spots are 2โ€“3 mm in diameter, but as the disease progresses, the spots can expand to several centimeters.

      Young lesions usually consist of small chlorotic spots before fungal spores (urediniospora) is generated. Older spots will turn necrotic (dead tissue), and on older leaves, the lesions may coalesce to form an irregular pattern that covers the leaf surface.

      Control Strategy

      • Selection of resistant varieties: Use more resistant types of coffee such as robusta or arabica varieties S 795, S 288, and S 333.
      • Cultivation techniques: Increase plant fitness through balanced fertilization, regular pruning, and providing sufficient shade.
      • Fungicide: Use a fungicide such as Dithane M-45 at a dose of 2 grams per liter of water to control the spread of fungus.

      Leaf Spot (Cercospora coffeicola)

      Coffee leaf spot disease, or brown eye spot, caused by fungi Cercospora coffeicola. This disease was first discovered in Jamaica and is now spread throughout the world’s coffee growing regions.

      C. coffeicola attacks leaves, especially in seedlings, and also fruit, which can cause greater losses than attacks on leaves. The disease develops rapidly in conditions of high humidity, such as in the rainy season, the seedbed is too dark, the shade is too dense, or exposure to strong sunlight.

      Symptoms of leaf spot disease are as follows:

      • On the Leaf: Round spots appear reddish brown or dark, clearly defined, often concentric with a grayish white center. On old spots, black powder appears in the form of fungal conidium. The spots are clearly visible on the upper surface of the leaves, less than 5 mm in diameter, and enlarge in damp weather. Severe infestations can cause leaves to fall off.
      • On Fruit: Occurs on the side of the fruit exposed to sunlight. Spotting causes the skin of the fruit to dry out and become hard, making it difficult to peel. These symptoms are similar to “sunburn” and can only be differentiated through a microscope.

      Control Strategy

      This control measure aims to minimize the spread of disease and maintain the productivity of coffee plants.

      • In Nursery:
      • Use chemical fungicides such as mancozeb (example: Dithane, Delsene).
      • Reduce humidity by reducing watering and widening the canopy to increase sunlight.
      • Sanitize by cutting off infected leaves, then burning or burying them in the ground.
      • On Fruit:
      • Arrange the shade so that the sun exposure is even and not excessive.

      Upas Mushroom (Upasia salmonicolor)

      Upas mushroom, otherwise known as pink disease, caused by Upasia salmonicolor (or Corticium salmonicolor), and is widespread in tropical regions of the world. This disease poses a significant threat to coffee plants, attacking the stems, branches, twigs and coffee berries.

      The characteristic of upas fungus attacks is the sudden wilting of branches or twigs. Attacks can occur in various parts of the tree, from the bottom, middle, to the main trunk.

      The initial symptom is the appearance of a thin layer of white, web-shaped hyphae (cobweb stage) on the surface of the branch. The fungus then forms clumps of hyphae on the lenticels (pseudo hump stage) before penetrating the bark of the branch.

      On the shaded underside of branches, the fungus develops into a pink crust (stage corticium) consisting of a layer of hymenium. Advanced attacks produce reddish-orange nodules on dead wood (stage necator). In fruit, infection starts from necrosis at the base of the fruit, then spreads to reach the endosperm.

      Upas fungus attacks are affected by high humidity, especially in areas with high rainfall and gardens that are poorly maintained due to minimal pruning and overgrown canopy trees.

      Control Strategy
      Upas fungus control is carried out through the following steps:

      1. Branch Pruning: Cut diseased branches to healthy limits, plus 30 cm.
      2. Reduce Humidity: Do pruning of coffee plants and arrangement of shade trees.
      3. Fungicide: Apply a 10% concentration of copper fungicide (such as Nordox or Cupravit) or tridemorph fungicide (Calixin RM) to diseased twigs.
      4. Lubrication of Large Branches: Lubricate the affected trunk or large branches with fungicide.
      5. Handling Sick Fruit: Pick, collect and destroy infected fruit by burning or burying it.

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      Erly Indriani
      I am a writer committed to providing clear and practical insights on sustainable farming practices, advancements in agricultural technology, and food security. I write to educate farmers and the public, aiming to raise awareness about the critical role of sustainable agriculture in building a better future. Know more about her on Linkedin

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