Coffee anthracnose: development of morphological and histological symptoms

Abstract

Morphological and histological symptoms ofleaf anthracnose were studied on inoculated seedl-ings and detached leaves of three coffee cultivars; Hammadi, Iriani and Inici. Plesionecroses followed by holonecroses were obvious 7 days after inoculation under greenhouse and laboratory conditions. Epider-mal cell collapse followed by accumulation of inclusions in epidermal and mesophyll cells was observed. The fungus produced mycelial mats over the host epidermis from which great numbers of setose acervuli arose. Frequency of acervuli differed on the different cultivars. Anici was the most susceptile among the tested. Numbers of acervuli, however, were higher on sound unscrached leaves than on abraded leaves on all tested cultivars.