Pathogens Causing Anthracnose and Fruit Rots of Coffee Associated with the Coffee Berry Borer and the Entomopathogenic Fungus in Puerto Rico.

Fruit rots reduce coffee production worldwide. Eight species have been reported to cause coffee fruit rots; the most important is , the cause of coffee berry disease (CBD) in Africa. It is unknown whether these fruit rot pathogens can be dispersed by the coffee berry borer (CBB, ) or whether (a natural enemy of CBB) might reduce coffee fruit rots. We identified pathogens causing coffee fruits rots in Puerto Rico and evaluated whether reduced fruit rot and whether CBB could disperse pathogens. A total of 2,333 coffee fruit with CBB damage were collected; of these, 1,197 had visible growth of . , , , and were isolated and identified from the fruit using morphological traits and phylogeny of three nuclear genes. All four species caused internal and external rot after inoculation of healthy green coffee fruit. Coffee fruit treated with had significantly less fruit rot than untreated fruit, suggesting can protect against fruit rot. To test whether had a protective effect, and were coinoculated on coffee fruit. Fruit inoculated with both and had significantly less rot than fruit inoculated with alone. To test if CBBs dispersed the pathogens, CBBs were exposed to conidia and placed on green fruit, which resulted in fruit rot. This study identifies new pathogens causing coffee fruit rot, shows that is not the only that attacks green fruits, suggests a role for in disease management and demonstrates CBB can disperse the pathogens.