Title: Coffee mutagenesis for leaf rust resistance
Abstract:
Coffee leaf rust (CLR) caused by Hemileia vastatrix is a major disease for coffee-producing countries. Breeding for resistant varieties is the main strategy for controlling CLR, however, the rapid spread of this disease around the globe and ongoing CLR races, are limiting cultivar´s resistance durability. This study reports the CLR resistance performance under controlled conditions, of new candidate mutants obtained by EMS mutagenesis. Variable response of CLR tolerance was exhibited by an originally susceptible variety. Three M1 plants showed similar tolerance compared to resistant varieties under controlled inoculation conditions, while tolerant-susceptible levels were shown by the general population. Further genomic information will show potential mutant sections which may confer tolerance or susceptibility
Audience Take Away Notes :
- New coffee mutants can have different tolerance to CLR
- Breeding alternatives can be explored to solve old problems
- More biotechnologies should be incorporated to understand better such tolerance
