Coffee leaf rust (Hemileia vastatrix) has reshaped entire national economies. Copper-based preventive programmes through the rains, plus rust-tolerant varieties, remain the core defence.
- Grown in
- Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Brazil, Colombia, Vietnam
- Season
- Perennial, 3–4 years to first commercial crop
- Soil & pH
- Volcanic loam, pH 5.0–6.0, shade-tolerant
What to scout for on Coffee
- Yellow-orange powdery patches on leaf undersides — coffee leaf rust
- Sunken dark lesions on green berries — coffee berry disease
- Small round exit holes in cherries — coffee berry borer
- Sudden defoliation after the rains, then a collapsed harvest
Diseases that attack Coffee
Products you can buy for Coffee
Typical registered products for the diseases above, with active ingredient, mixing rate, spray interval and pre-harvest interval. Rotate FRAC/IRAC groups to avoid resistance.
Tebuconazole 25% EC
Active ingredient: Tebuconazole
- Dose:
- 1 ml per litre (500 ml–1 L/ha)
- Interval:
- Every 14–21 days, 2 sprays per season
- PHI:
- 21–35 days on cereals
The standard cereal-rust curative. Apply at first pustule, and again at flag-leaf if pressure continues.
Propiconazole 25% EC
Active ingredient: Propiconazole
- Dose:
- 1 ml per litre
- Interval:
- Every 14–21 days
- PHI:
- 21–30 days
Widely used on coffee leaf rust and cereal rusts; rotate with a strobilurin.
Azoxystrobin + cyproconazole
Active ingredient: Azoxystrobin 20% + Cyproconazole 8%
- Dose:
- 1 ml per litre
- Interval:
- Every 21 days, 1–2 per season
- PHI:
- 30 days
Built-in two-mode mixture — the safest way to slow rust resistance in intensive systems.
Copper oxychloride 50% WP
Active ingredient: Copper oxychloride
- Dose:
- 3 g per litre
- Interval:
- Every 14 days through the rainy season
- PHI:
- 3–5 days
Standard preventive base for coffee leaf rust in smallholder systems.
Chlorothalonil 75% WP
Active ingredient: Chlorothalonil
- Dose:
- 2 g per litre (1.5–2 kg/ha)
- Interval:
- Every 7–10 days
- PHI:
- 7 days
Backbone protectant for Septoria and Cercospora leaf spots. Full leaf coverage, including undersides, is essential.
Mancozeb 80% WP
Active ingredient: Mancozeb
- Dose:
- 2.5 g per litre
- Interval:
- Every 7 days
- PHI:
- 7 days
Adds zinc and manganese nutrition alongside disease control.
Doses shown are typical registered field rates. Always read the product label, confirm the product is registered for your crop and country, respect the pre-harvest interval (PHI), and wear the protective equipment the label specifies. PlantWatch AI provides agronomic guidance, not a legal spray recommendation.
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