Incidence of Hemileia vastatrix, in Coffea arabica production systems, Tepec-Xomolth La Patasta, Nicaragua, 2023

Abstract

Coffee growing represents a key economic activity for the country's development, especially for small producers who face environmental, social, and agronomic challenges. Among the main agronomic impacts is coffee rust (Hemileia vastatrix), considered the most destructive in coffee plantations. The incidence and severity of coffee rust were evaluated in 14 coffee (Coffea arabica L.) production systems in three communities of the Tepec-Xomolth La Patasta Nature Reserve, Nicaragua. In each production system, 184 coffee plants were randomly selected per hectare and marked. A strip of the lower middle part of each plant was selected, and the leaves affected by the disease were counted, with biweekly frequencies, throughout 2023. The data were organized using Excel software; the severity was transformed using the arcsine function. Linear regression, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Tukey's tests (α = 0.05) were used. The results indicate that increasing leaf number increases the likelihood of disease infection, with greater impacts during fruit formation, development, and consistency, as well as harvest. Severity did not show significant differences between communities. Determining disease behavior at different phenological stages of the crop will allow for the adoption of appropriate management strategies that reduce costs and environmental impacts.