Selection of large beans coffee genotypes for cercosporiosis and coffee leaf rust resistance

The development of disease resistant coffee cultivars is of paramount importance to increase grain yield and decrease production costs. The lack of information on how the new cultivars resist the attack of diseases and pests is a limiting factor in the selection of the best cultivars. Thus, the objective of the present work was to select superior genotypes of the Big Coffee VL group for resistance to Hemileia vastatrix and Cercospora coffeicola. The experiment consisted of 18 progenies pre-selected from a group of 100 genetic materials, for the trait of productivity. The experiment was carried out in a randomized block design, with six blocks and one plant per experimental plot, totaling 108 individuals. The selected coffee plants were evaluated for 10 months for injuries caused by coffee leaf rust and brown eye spot using commonly used diagrammatic scales. During the evaluated months, the genotypes G10, P32 and M22 were more tolerant to rust and brown eye spot. Thus, they are good candidates for genetic improvement programs with the objective of producing larger grains and adding resistance to the main diseases of arabica coffee.