Diseases of Fruit Plantation Medicinal and Aromatic Crops

Coffee blight

Causal organism: Phoma costarricensis
Symptoms

• The disease infecting leaves of Coffee arabica was noticed in Karnataka.
• Severity of the disease leads to heavy defoliation.
• Wet weather, high humidity, low temperature and wounds caused by the insects under field condition are favourable for development of disease.
• Defoliation noticed was up to 30-35% and seen at higher elevations.
• Young & mature leaves get affected.
• The disease appears to extend up to the tip portion of the tender twig when all the leaves on a tender branch get infected completely.