Coffee Board of Kenya Monthly Bulletins March 1942

Abstract

In Kenya, a physiologic form of leaf fall is so severe at certain periods of the year that a loss in vitality of the coffee bush results. In certain areas, this leaf fall would appear to be becoming more predominant, and to date, research carried out by the Coffee Services of the Department of Agriculture has failed to find an explanation for the phenomena. It has long been shown, however, that an application of Bordeaux mixture controls to a large extent the "fall" and results in substantially heavier annual yields of coffee being obtained. The effect of the spray is attributed to its "tonic effect,” which may, in turn, be due to a copper intake through the leaves, and not to any fungicidal action.