Potential Effects, Biology and Management Options of Coffee Leaf Rust (Hemileia Vastatrix): A Review

Despite coffee plays significant role in social, cultural and national economy of the globe, the coffee industry is potentially at risk due to biotic and biotic stress.Among biotic stress; coffee leaf rust (Hemileia vastatrix) is one of the major disease which has been causing high crop lose world-wide.The breeding programme of coffe leaf rust research center (CIFC) was essentially based on the utilization of HDT as a resistant parent.The main hybrids produced at CIFC with HDT were: HW26 = Caturra Vermelho x HDT 832/1; H 46 = Caturra Vermelho x HDT 832/2; H361 = Villa Sarchi x HDT 832/2; H528 = Catuaí Amarelo x HW26/13; H529 = Caturra Amarelo x H361/3.Ethiopian commercial varieties: Catimor J-19.Catimor J-21 and Gesha show partial resistance to the rust.However, in the last few years, some improved commercial varieties are gradually losing their resistance to rust due to the new increase of H. vastatrix virulence races.This shows the importance of re-evaluating existing varieties with the new races and the care needed before the release of new ones.Priority must also be given to the identification of sources of more durable resistance.Ethiopia as the source of origin perhaps for both the host and pathogen plays an important role in science either for breeders or pathologists.Hence, for further advanced investigations on the host and pathogen to improve the durability of coffee resistance to the disease the last ecosystems of rainforest/wild coffee in Ethiopia urgently need to be protected.