The value of coffee germplasm to researchers is increased when it is well-characterized. The screening for resistance to leaf rust (CLR) and coffee berry disease (CBD) can be performed in each coffee growing country, but only with local pathotypes/races.

At CIFC, some dozens of thousands of coffee plants has been tested, every year, with races/pathotypes from different geographic origins (unique germplasm collections) to characterize the spectra of resistance of coffee genotypes to H. vastatrix and C. kahawae.

Ongoing projects:

• Search for sources of resistance to H. vastatrix in C. arabica, diploid species and interspecific tetraploid hybrids
• Pre-breeding for rust and CBD resistance