STATUS OF COFFEE LEAF RUST

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• STATUS OF COFFEE LEAF RUST
• (Hemileia vastatrix) IN JAMAICA
• COFFEE LEAF RUST WORKSHOP
• CICAFE, COSTA RICA
• MARCH 13-14, 2008
• Presented by Louis Campbell
• Advisory Services Manager
• ( lcampbell_at_ciboj.org )

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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE JAMAICAN COFFEE INDUSTRY

• Jamaicas number 3 foreign export earner Sugar,
  Banana
• Employs approx. 100,000 persons at all levels
• Important contributor to socio-economic
  development of rural communities
• As part of its quality assurance great care is
  taken to monitoring the type, dosage and timing
  of chemical application

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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE JAMAICAN COFFEE INDUSTRY CONTD

• The discovery of the Coffee Berry Borer
  (Hypothenemus hampei) in 1978
• And then
• The Coffee Leaf Rust (H. vastatrix) eight years
  later have resulted in great concern both in
  terms of the impact of these destructive agents
  as well as for the quality assurance and safety
  of our coffee

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Coffee Leaf Rust (H. vastatrix) was
discovered in Jamaica in Alston District in the
parish of Clarendon, in July 1986.Suspected
source is Cuba disease found there in 1985.
Alston, Clarendon
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By 1987, a survey done by the Ministry of
Agriculture and the Coffee Industry Board
revealed that it had spread to all major
producing zones. Including the low altitude zone
of the Blue Mountains.
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Intervention Research Activities

• In August 1987, funds secured to carry out the
  following studies
• 1. the epidemiology of the Coffee Leaf
• Rust
• 2. Evaluating sampling techniques for
• research monitoring and field use and

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Intervention Research Activities Contd

• to investigate spray technology and
• calibrating equipment for Coffee Leaf Rust
• control.
• Duration of Study 2 3 years.

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Intervention Research Activities Contd

• In 1989, samples were sent to the Coffee
• Rust Research Centre, Oeiras, Portugal for
• identification.
• Results showed that Jamaica had Race II of
• the pathogen.

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• Coffee Leaf Rust Control Programme was merged
  with Coffee Berry Borer control spray programme
• Spraying was done April June in lowland zone
• Low altitude Blue Mountain Zone
• August March not covered.

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Areas presently Affected by Coffee Leaf Rust

• Total lowland zone
• Low altitude zone of the Blue Mountain
• ( 1,500 ft)
• Medium altitude zone recently infected (2,000
  ft) could be due to subtle changes in climate
  regime

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Control Measures

• Focus (a) Agronomic Measures
• (b) Chemical Control Measures
• The reliance on chemicals only for
• controlling the disease has become
• addictive to some farmers.
• They overlook the fact that healthy plants have
• capability to resist attack from the pathogen

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Agronomic Measures

• Proper timing and application of fertilizers
• Pruning of dead and damaged branches after
  reaping or wind damage
• Gormandizing (removal of suckers)
• Removal of pruned material from root zone
• General cleaning and weeding on farm
• Removal of laterals that lay on soil surface

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Agronomic Measures Contd

• Adopt a wider planting distance 10 between rows
  x 5 along the rows
• Plant one seedling per hole
• Proper shade management
• Maintain proper drainage system

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Chemical Measures

• Wide range of chemicals have been tested. The
  most successfully used ones are indicated below
• Pre 1995
• Copper Oxy-chloride
• Copper Hydroxide
• Bayleton (Triadimefon)

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Chemical Measures Contd

• Present

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Recommended Treatment

• One application during reaping
• in September (systemic)
• (b) One application after reaping is complete
  between December January (contact)
• along with field sanitation, pruning shade
  reduction
• (c) Treatment before flowering in March (contact)

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Recommended Treatment Contd

• (d) Treatment prior to rain season in May
• along with CBB control programme
• (contact) and
• (e) Treatment in July after rainfall season
• (contact).

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Genetic Control

• Arabica typica is the predominant variety
• grown in Jamaica.
• It is highly susceptible to CLR
• The industry introduced hybrids from
• Turrialba, Costa Rica

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Genetic Control Contd

• Hybrid introduced - 1980s early 1990s
• Predominantly Hybrid De Timor x Caturra
• crosses
• Hybrids e.g. T5157, T5159 2308
• Only resistant to some races of Rust
• However, taste, beans size shape did not
• conform to our Jamaican coffee profile. As such
  propagation of these hybrids have been
  discouraged.

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Total Estimated Annual Loss

• US2.70 0.574 0.162 US3.436mil
• There are 14,000 acres of coffee in Jamaica
• estimated 9,000 acres affected by CLR
• Assume loss of 10 bxs/ac annually
• 9,000 acs x 10 bxs 90,000 boxes
• Assume conversion of 5 lbs saleable beans/box
  450,000 lbs
• Estimate price/lb for green bean at US6.00
• Total loss due to CLR US2.70mil/yr

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Total Estimated Annual Loss Contd

• Loss of mature bearing plants
• 100 acres lost annually
• 872 plants x 100 acs 87,200 plants
• value/mature plant US6.60
• Loss US6.60 x 87,200
• US0.574mil

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Total Estimated Annual Loss Contd

• Loss of young immature plants
• 50 acres loss annually
• 872 plants x 50 ac 43,600 plants
• value/immature plant US3.72
• loss US3.72 x 43,600 US0.162mil
• Conversion J71.00 US1.00

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Cost Incurred

• Slight to moderate infection
• Labour - 2 md/ac _at_ 1000/md
  2,000
• Material - Champion/Kocide 650/lb
• x 4 lbs/application
  /ac 2,600
• Sticker 50 ml/drum 150
• Equipment Pump (hire) 700/day 700
• Water
  300
• Transportation
  500
• Lubricants Gas 500
• 6,750
• 2 application per ac 13,500 (US190)

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Cost Incurred Contd

• Assumed 9,000 acres affected
• Basic Cost/ac for 2 cycles J13,500 (US190)
• US190 x 9,000 acs US1.71mil

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Decline in Production 1987-2007(Lowland zone)
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Decline in Production 1987-2007(Lowland zone)
Contd
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Reasons for Decline in Production/Acreage

• Impact of Coffee Leaf Rust
• Hurricane Damage (1988)
• Low return on investment
• Banana Industry decline during 1990s hence the
  increase of CLR.

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Some Challenges

• 1. Growers reluctance to implement
• agronomic interventions to control the
• disease
• 2. High cost of implementing chemical
• control measures
• High cost of plant nutrients and
• Farmers inability to access spray
• equipment.
• 5. Inadequate research on the various races of
  the pathogen

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Recommendations

• Seek local and international funding to implement
  a national CLR control programme
• Breed rust resistant variety with desirable (Blue
  Mountain) taste profile
• Intensify research work on the identification,
  epidemiology and control of the local races of
  the pathogen
• Increase collaboration with Regional
  universities and Coffee Research Institution.

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Recommendations contd

• Greater collaboration with Chemical Companies
• Need for research (molecular marker) aimed at
  improving Typicas resistance without reducing
  its quality traits

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Conclusion

• Amidst all the challenges that the region
• coffee industries face, we must rise to the
• occasion and combat this disease in order to
• save our economies and to sustain the
• livelihood of all stakeholders.

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THANK YOU.