Biological control of coffee rust by antagonistic bacteria under field conditions in Brazil

Rust (Hemileia vastatrix) is the most important coffee disease in Brazil. Organic coffee production has increased in the country and a research program aimed to develop alternatives to chemicals for disease control was required. Seven bacterial isolates, isolated from organic coffee plantings and selected in greenhouse tests, were evaluated under commercial organic crop conditions in 2005 (Experiment 1) and 2005/2006 (Experiment 2), in Machado, MG, Brazil. Ten treatments consisting of the seven bacterial isolates, copper hydroxide, calcium silicate and water were applied as three or four monthly sprays in Experiment 1 or 2, respectively. Rust severity and incidence were evaluated monthly. In Experiment 1, the sprays started in January when rust incidence was 23.8%, and none of the treatments reduced rust progress significantly. In Experiment 2, the sprays began in November 2005, when rust incidence was approximately 7.5%. There were significant differences (P < 0.0001) between treatments regarding maximum incidence and severity (as assessed in June, 2006), the rate of increase of the incidence between November 2005 and June 2006 and for the areas under disease progress curves for both rust incidence and severity. Lower values for these treatments were obtained in the plots treated with copper hydroxide or Bacillus sp. isolate B157, and intermediate values with the Pseudomonas sp. isolate P286. In a third experiment conducted in 2007 in Ervália, MG, isolates B157 and P286 were also evaluated; isolate B157 reduced rust intensity as effectively as copper hydroxide. Isolate B157 is considered a potential biocontrol agent for coffee rust for organic crop systems in Brazil