Coffee leaf miner resistance

Abstract

The coffee leaf miner, Leucoptera coffeella, is a common pest of coffee plantations in Brazil. Though it is effective, chemical control substantially increases the cost of production and constitutes a significant risk for the environment. Resistant coffee cultivars have been and continue being developed through classic and molecular selection techniques. Basic knowledge about the biology of this insect, the damage it causes to the plants, the identification of sources of resistance, the development of efficient selection methods and knowledge about the genetics of resistance have contributed to the efficiency of the ongoing genetic improvement programs. Recently, coffee genomics studies have also promoted an improvement in the efficiency of the development of cultivars resistant to this insect. We present a short review of each of these aspects of the search for resistance.