This highly informative monograph will provide a basic reference on coffee rust for both investigators in the field and those entering it. The research conducted has been organized based on principles of epidemiology and plant disease management, providing both theoretical and practical information. This approach enables discussion of the past, present and future of coffee rust research in broad plant patholog-ical areas of biology, epidemiology, genetics and breeding for disease resistance, fungicide technology and application, and disease management. In addition, an analysis of epidemics, breeding programs, and other rust management practices in India, Kenya and Brazil are included. This new text will contain over 45 figures and 40 tables for both investigators in the field and those just entering it.

We live in an era of constantly accelerating scientific and social change brought about by developments in education, technology and modem communication. This is a time of questioning and new perceptions affecting all facets of our daily lives. With increasing frequency issues are being raised which demand answers and new approaches. This increases the responsibility of those involved in determining the future shape of the world of coffee. The dependence of developing countries on income generated from trade in coffee, the emergence of new processing techniques, health implications and questions of quality of coffee in the cup are among the issues related to coffee. The knowledge required to form the basis to resolve these issues for the benefit of the multitudes of coffee drinkers will be generated only through the systematic build up of information and its subsequent evaluation. Science and modem technology provide essential tools for these endeavours. This book should act as a stimulant to thought and creativity so the issues facing the industry may be fully analysed and a healthy future for coffee secured. It marks a step forward in laying the foundation for coffee's future. Alexandre F. Beltrao Executive Director International Coffee Organisation London PREFACE We have long been fascinated by coffee and on many occasions bemoaned the lack of a comprehensive text dealing with the varied scientific aspects. With the encouragement of Tim Hardwick of Croom Helm Ltd, we decided to pool our resources and produce just such a multi-author volume.

Price collapse and oversupply have made coffee a high-profile crop in recent years: never has efficient production and crop protection been more important for reducing costs and increasing quality. Packed with illustrations, this book covers the origins, botany, agroecology and worldwide production statistics of coffee, and the insect pests, plant pathogens, nematodes and nutrient deficiencies that afflict it. With emphasis on integrated crop management, this book reviews control measures suitable for any coffee pest or disease and will enable agriculturists to design and implement sustainable pest management systems.

Most books on epidemiology have treated the subject from a statistical, mathematical or computer applicational point of view. However, experiments must be performed first to provide the data for models which in turn can then be proven by further experimentation. This mutual interplay of theory and empirics gives epidemiology its scientific thrust and charm. This book provides a choice of methods for varying applications and objectives, covering all important aspects for the designing of experiments. Furthermore, the reader is supplied with solutions to his experimental problems and many "tricks of the trade". The newcomer to the field will also profit by this methodology guide.

Plant diseases and pests are a major constraint to agricultural production despite the various measures used to control them. Chemical control, although often e~~ective, may pose environmental hazards and is relatively expensive, especially in developing countries where it may be completely uneconomic. Control through genetically mediated resistance to diseases and pests, is both cheap and environmentally sa~e and at present most diseases and pests o~ staple ~ood crops are controlled through some form of resistance. One of the basic problems in the use of resistance is its ~re quent lack of durability; very often a type of resistance is used that 'breaks down' after a certain period. The temporary nature of this resistance, due to the development of new strains of pest or pathogen able to overcome it, has seriously hindered the improvement o~ the yield potential of many crops as a continuing effort is needed to replace old cultivars who resistance has failed, with new ones. Following Vanderplank's now classical publications (1963, 1968) which differentiated horizontal and vertical resistance, studies on several host-parasite systems have shown that di~ferent types of resistance can be distinguished genetically and epidemiologically, and on the ability o~ the pests or pathogens to adapt to them. A knowledge of how resistance operates at the population level has also opened up possibilities of 'managing' relatively simple resistance types in such a way that a stable host-pathogen system can be pro duced with a minimum of crop loss.

The second half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century witnessed important changes in ecology, climate and human behaviour that favoured the development of urban pests. Most alarmingly, urban planners now face the dramatic expansion of urban sprawl, in which city suburbs are growing into the natural habitats of ticks, rodents and other pests. Also, many city managers now erroneously assume that pest-borne diseases are relics of the past. All these changes make timely a new analysis of the direct and indirect effects of present-day urban pests on health. Such an analysis should lead to the development of strategies to manage them and reduce the risk of exposure. To this end, WHO invited international experts in various fields - pests, pest-related diseases and pest management - to provide evidence on which to base policies. These experts identified the public health risk posed by various pests and appropriate measures to prevent and control them. This book presents their conclusions and formulates policy options for all levels of decision-making to manage pests and pest-related diseases in the future. [Ed.]