Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR) is the most devastating disease of coffee and was discovered in Hawaii in October 2020. If untreated, yield losses typically range from 30% to 100% with tree loss.
The production risk is staggering; Hawaii growers are a diverse group of underserved producers located throughout the state and have no experience with this new disease. There are few products approved for use in combatting CLR in the U.S. The combination of inexperience and novel products expose producers to legal and human risks from (mis)applying pesticides. Of note, RMA insurance could be a valuable tool in coping with CLR; necessary information is the documentation/records needed to use insurance.
We used a multipronged strategy and 86 events to educate growers statewide about CLR and its management (1,018 participants), sprayer calibration (104), worker protection standards (354), and crop insurance with recordkeeping (73). Activities included live workshops/field days, live and recorded webinars, conference displays and presentations, printed materials, website and newsletter, farm doctor visits, and individual/small group meetings. Post-event evaluations and a follow-up survey helped to assess producers’ success in understanding the topics, assessing the alternatives, and ultimately, in implementing the methods and tools for managing their risks.