Different fungi species of genus Colletotrichum has been associated with losses to the Brazilian coffee crop. The aim of this research was to evaluate the association between the variable fruit necrosis associated to Colletotrichum spp. ("COL") with the fruits per productive node average ("FN") and between "COL" and the yield ("PRD") in Coffea arabica L. genotypes. The field assay was evaluated at IAPAR (Londrina, PR, Brazil), in December 2004 and on coffee trees with three years old. The "COL" variable was evaluated attributing scores from 1 to 5, where score 1 represents plants with 0 % to 5 % of necrosed fruits. "FN" was evaluated following a score scale from 1 to 5, where score 1 represents plants with 0 to 3 fruits/ node and score 5 with more than 15 fruits/ node. The yield per plant was estimated by visual evaluation in liters of cherry fruits per plant. The Pearson's coefficient of correlation was estimated to evaluate the associations between variables. Positive and significant correlations were observed at 1 % between "COL" x "FN" and between "COL" x "PRD". The fruit necrosis was higher on coffees with higher yield and higher number of fruits per productive node. It is suggested that the field evaluation for resistance to fruit necrosis would be better if accomplished on coffee trees with high yield and high number of fruits per productive node.
Antracnosis; Coffea; coffee breeding; Colletotrichum gloeosporioides; cultivars
