Evaluations of incidence of rust (Hemileia vastatrix Berk. & Br.) and brown eye spot (Cercospora coffeicola Berk. & Cooke) took place at intervals of 14 days, observing 6 leaves per plant during the period from March 21, 1998 to February 6, 1999 in a 'Catuai' culture. The objective was to evaluate the effect of irrigation and fertirrigation on the incidence of rust and in 12 year coffee plants and analyze the progress curve of these diseases and their correlation to climatic variables. The experimental design was the one of randomized blocks with four treatments of different fertilizer splitting (1: 12 hand applications, 2:12 applications via fertirrigation, 3: 24 fertirrigated applications, 4: 36 fertirrigated applications). The plots were divided in 3 subplots that received treatments in different periods at initial irrigation (subplots A: June 1, B: July 15, C: September 1), and 2 checks (additional treats 1: fertilized 4 times and not irrigated, additional treats 2: conventional fertilizer and not irrigated). The area under disease progress curve (AUDPC) was calculated and submitted to variance analysis and Tukey's test at 5% probability. For the coffee rust, no treatment was significant. Curve progress showed maximum incidences in the months of July and September. There was a significant correlation at 1% probability among all the treatments and climatic variables, with the exception of the maximum temperature. For brown eye spot, the treatments attributed to the plots and to the subplots were significant at 1% of probability. However, the interaction between the two was non-significant. Greater AUDPC in splitting fertilizer 2 and 4 was observed. In the subplots, greater AUDPC in check E following for D was observed. Curve progress showed maximum incidences from May to July. There was a significant correlation of brown eye spot incidence in the majority of the treatments in relation to climatic variables.
coffee; fertirrigation; irrigation; management; epidemiology; Hemileia vastatrix; Cercospora coffeicola; Coffea arabica
