Café: how to prevent major diseases

Fungal diseases Cercospora and Phoma Leaf Spot are among the main phytosanitary challenges faced by coffee growers. According to field consultant Marcos Antônio Rosa, these diseases can cause significant losses in productivity and quality of the beans, making it essential to adopt preventive management strategies and constant attention to the climatic conditions of the crop. Cercospora, caused by the fungus Cercospora coffeicola, causes brown spots with a yellowish halo on leaves and fruits. Its development is favored by high temperatures, intense solar radiation, and nutritional deficiency, and can lead to defoliation, reduced quality of the beans, and decreased productivity. Phoma Leaf Spot, caused by Phoma sp., is characterized by dark, irregular lesions on the edges of the leaves, leaf curvatures, and branch drying, occurring with greater intensity in conditions of high humidity, constant winds, and lower temperatures, around 20 °C, resulting in significant production losses. ...