Coffee Leaf Rust Resistance: An Overview

Coffee is one of the most important cash crops and beverages. Several diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, and viruses can affect coffee plantations and compromise production. Coffee leaf rust (CLR), caused by the biotrophic fungus Hemileia vastatrix is the top fungal disease, representing a permanent threat to sustainable Arabica coffee production for more than a century. This review provides a comprehensive survey of the most common coffee diseases, their importance, and geographic distribution, with an emphasis on coffee leaf rust. Summing up the progress obtained so far from different research fields on the coffee–H. vastatrix interaction, we revisited the pathogen genetic diversity and population dynamics, and the complex mechanisms underlying plant resistance/immunity. We also highlight how new advanced technologies can provide avenues for a deeper understanding of this pathosystem, which is crucial for devising more reliable and long-term strategies for disease control.