"Coffee wilt disease has repeatedly reshaped the global coffee supply over the past century, with consequences that reach from African farms to cafe counters worldwide."
"Infection with the fungus Fusarium xylarioides results in a characteristic 'wilt' in coffee plants by blocking and reducing the plant's ability to transport water."
"Since the 1990s, outbreaks of coffee wilt have cost over US$1 billion, forced countless farms to close and caused dramatic drops in national coffee production."
"Although farmers combated the fungus with a shift to supposedly resistant robusta crops in the 1950s, the reprieve was short-lived."
Coffee wilt disease, caused by the fungus Fusarium xylarioides, blocks water transport in coffee plants, leading to their death. This disease has significantly affected global coffee supply, costing over $1 billion since the 1990s and forcing many farms to close. Uganda's coffee production only returned to pre-outbreak levels in 2020, decades after the disease was first detected. In 2023, the disease resurfaced in Ivory Coast. Understanding the genetics of plant pathogens is essential for preventing future outbreaks and managing coffee production.
Read at Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine
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