Fungi associated with the new malady of coffee in South India

Abstract

A marked decline in the coffee yields was first noticed in Mysore during the monsoon period of 1957. The leading symptom which manifests between March/May was found to be chlorosis and epinasty of penultimate or subpenultimate pair of leaves followed by their death and the extension of necrosis from the leaf scar into the internodes. Occasionally, browning of the pith and intercellular mycelium was noticed. Other symptoms attributed to the New Malady are the die-back of productive branches, crinkling of leaves, witches' broom-like growth, shortening of internodes, etc.