Cercosporiose: o que é, por que aparece e como controlar?

Coffee cercospora is a fungal disease caused by *Cercospora coffeicola*, very common in coffee plantations, mainly in situations of nutritional stress, low soil moisture, excessive sunlight, and weakened plants. It can attack both leaves and fruits. How it appears on leaves The most typical symptom is the so-called brown eye spot or pigeon eye spot: rounded lesions lighter, grayish or light brown center dark edges, usually reddish-brown in many cases, a yellowish halo around them When the attack increases, the plant may lose photosynthetic area and defoliation may occur, weakening the coffee plant. How it appears on fruit On fruit, cercospora causes: depressed or superficial spots darkening impaired filling reduced quality in more severe cases, malformed grains In new or developing crops, it is usually even more concerning because it reduces plant vigor. When the disease is favored Cercospora typically appears more strongly when there is: nutritional deficiency, especially in poorly balanced plants dry soil or water deficiency excessive load seedlings or new plants under strong sunlight weakened crops imbalance between growth and nutrient supply It is not usually just a "fungal" problem. Often it is also a sign of plant stress. Main Damages: Reduction in leaf area, leaf drop, plant weakening, reduced fruit set and filling, loss of productivity, decrease in the final quality of the coffee. Cercospora Management: Control needs to be integrated: Balanced nutrition, paying attention to soil and leaves, good root development, avoiding water stress, proper plant load management, phytosanitary protection when necessary, frequent monitoring, especially in new crops and more exposed areas. Fungicides help, but alone they don't always solve the problem well when the main cause is plant stress. WhatsApp: +55 32 99800-3160 Instagram: @gaiatechconsult