As a way of helping coffee growers in the state, researchers from Embrapa Acre produced the technical circular “Manual for identification and management of coffee diseases” Coffea canephora in Acre”. The publication is a practical guide with illustrations that allow the identification and management of diseases in Amazonian Robusta coffee crops. Aimed at technicians and farmers, it covers the main agents that cause diseases in the roots, branches, leaves and fruits of coffee plantations, as well as the symptoms to assist in the process of identifying pathologies.
According to the researcher at Embrapa Acre and one of the authors of the publication, Amauri Siviero, with the expansion of coffee farming in the state, the tendency is for coffee plantations to be more affected by diseases, as a consequence, the demand to identify, diagnose and properly manage crops increases.
“During technical visits to the producer’s area and also in Embrapa Acre experiments, we have noticed the occurrence of some diseases and producers are seeking guidance on how to control the problem. The material, available in digital format on Embrapa’s website, was produced with the aim of meeting this demand,” he highlights.
Since the 1980s, Embrapa Acre has been working with Arabica coffee crops (Coffea arabica) and Canéfora coffee (Coffea canephora) in Acre. Research includes the evaluation of genetic material in the field, as a way of providing farmers with varieties with good productivity and resistance to pests and diseases. Currently, the most cultivated species in Acre is Coffea canephora, planted by clones, the so-called clonal coffees, which include the Robusta and Conilon varieties, known as Amazonian Robustas. The Acre climate favors the performance of this crop.
The research work involved laboratory analyses and field observations in experiments conducted at Embrapa Acre and in commercial cultivation areas in the state. According to Siviero, two diseases deserve to be highlighted: anthracnose and thread blight. Both attack aggressively and generate economic impacts. Other diseases, such as small spots or defects that appear on the leaves or fruit, do not have the same economic importance.
The manual also describes diseases such as seedling damping-off, four-year blight, coffee rust, brown eye spot, pink blight, tip blight, phoma spot, ascochyta spot and halo spot.
The researcher explains that control measures vary according to the agents that cause the diseases, which can be a fungus, a bacteria or a nematode. He also points out that, with the manual, producers will have guidance on how to take the necessary control measures.
“We realized that there was a lack of a guide for identifying diseases in the field, which would guide coffee growers when an abnormality appeared in the coffee plantation. Whether it was a disease or not, by describing the symptoms, they could identify the problem,” he comments.
For coffee grower Vanderlei de Lara, one of the main challenges as a coffee producer is to improve the quality of production in order to obtain a better price. According to him, Embrapa helps with improvements through research to increase production.
The farmer explains that prevention is one of the main measures to combat coffee diseases. “I always try to prevent these diseases that attack coffee. One of the measures I take is to control them at the right time, to combat and prevent the spread of any pest or disease,” he highlights.
With greater agronomic, economic and social importance, coffee farming in Acre has increased job creation in the countryside. According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), through the Systematic Survey of Agricultural Production (LSPA) carried out in July 2024, coffee production in the state is expected to increase by 1,3% compared to 2023.
Coffee production in Acre, in the July/2024 harvest, is 2.894 tons. In addition, the area destined for harvesting in this harvest is 1.091 hectares. The average productivity in the state is expected to be 2.653 kilos per hectare.
The “Manual for the identification and management of diseases of Coffea canephora in Acre” is in line with Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger and Sustainable Agriculture). The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 global targets established by the United Nations General Assembly and have the support of Embrapa to achieve them.
Receive the latest agriculture news by email
Receive the latest agriculture news by email
