Disease Resistance In Coffee Berries IV—Reversible Susceptibility Induced by Metabolic Inhibitors

Abstract

Mature green berries of Arabic·a coffee normally are resistant to fungal attack except by a virulent strain of Colletotrichum cofjeanllm Noack. Disease resistance in many plants has been explained by the responsive production by the host of an antifungal substance, termed a phytoalexin (Muller 1961); only after stimulation by attempted infection. This implies that the host responds with an active, dynamic, metabolic conversion of biochemical precursors into the compounds which inhibit development of the attempted infection.