Evolution of coffee rust (Hemileia vastatrix) and brown eye spot (Cercospora coffeicola) in conventional, organic-mineral and organic coffee agroecosystem

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the incidence of Hemileia vastatrix and Cercospora coffeicola conducted in coffee agroecosystems under conventional, organic-mineral and organic managements in the municipality of Poço Fundo, south of Minas Gerais, Brazil. To this end, it was selected a coffee farm with this three management systems. Sampling of leaves randomly taken to determine the incidence of coffee rust and brown eye spot were in middle third of each plant. Ten leaves were collected from third or fourth on all sides of the plant, being sampled by twenty coffe eagroecosystem, totaling two thousand sheets collected from each system. The evaluations were performed monthly during one year (december, 2007 to november, 2008). The highest incidence of coffee rust in conventional agroecosystem occurred in August, reaching rates of 15% and brown eye spot incidence reached 38.5% in July, highest peak of the disease in this system. The agroecosystems organic-mineral and organic suffered high levels of attack by the coffee rust and brown eye spot, reaching extremes of incidence rates from the month of July, surpassing 80 % incidence of rust and 54.5 % of brown eye spot.