Status of coffee leaf rust (Hemileia vastatrix) and its management in Ethiopia: a review

Ethiopia is believed to be the center of origin of Arabica coffee which accounts for nearly two-thirds of the world coffee market. The country ranks fifth in the world coffee production and nearly 15 million people support their livelihood in the coffee sector. However, coffee is prone to several diseases that attack its different parts and reduce its yield. Coffee leaf rust (CLR) disease which was considered a negligible disease is now becoming a major threat to coffee production in Ethiopia. A recent study indicates an upsurge in disease with an average incidence of CLR is 35.3%. Moreover, the disease spread to mid and highland coffee-growing areas, which were previously limited to lowland areas. Several disease management strategies have been implemented to manage the disease including cultural control, the use of biocontrol agents and host resistance. Moreover, the availability of wide germplasm for the selection of CLR disease resistance was reported in Ethiopia. However, only a few varieties were released for lowland coffee production system 30 years ago. This review discusses the status of CLR disease in Ethiopia. It also focuses on the impact of climate change on CLR epidemics and suggests possible schemes and strategies for managing the disease.