Environmental Influence of Altitude on Coffee Leaf Rust Severity in Arabica Coffee of Aceh Tengah, Indonesia

Authors

  • Teguh Arkadinata Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh 23111, Indonesia
  • Qalbin Salim Fazli Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, IPB University, Bogor 16680, Indonesia
  • Alfizar Alfizar Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh 23111, Indonesia
  • Lukman Hakim Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh 23111, Indonesia
  • Ghazi Mauer Idroes Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitas Abulyatama, Aceh Besar 23372, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.60084/ljes.v3i2.344

Keywords:

Disease incidence, Elevation gradient, Hemileia vastatrix, Microclimatic variation, Tropical agroecosystems

Abstract

Coffee leaf rust (CLR), caused by Hemileia vastatrix, remains one of the most damaging diseases affecting Arabica coffee worldwide. Understanding how environmental gradients influence CLR development is critical for sustainable management in tropical highland systems. This study examined the influence of altitude on CLR incidence and severity across five elevation ranges (800–1800 masl) in Arabica coffee plantations of Aceh Tengah, Indonesia. Field assessments were conducted on 25 farms using a standardized sampling layout and severity scoring scale. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that altitude had no significant effect on disease incidence (F = 0.14 < F0.05 = 3.01), which remained uniformly high across all sites (>75%), but significantly affected disease severity (F = 3.34 > F0.05 = 3.01). The highest mean severity (51.88%) occurred at 1600–1800 masl, differing significantly from lower elevations. These findings suggest that while CLR infection frequency is widespread, environmental conditions at higher altitudes favor greater lesion expansion and disease development. The results highlight the importance of considering local microclimatic variability in disease risk assessment and adaptive management. Further studies integrating microclimatic and agronomic measurements are needed to strengthen causal understanding and support environmentally based strategies for sustainable Arabica coffee production.

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Published

2025-10-17

How to Cite

Arkadinata, T., Fazli, Q. S., Alfizar, A., Hakim, L., & Idroes, G. M. (2025). Environmental Influence of Altitude on Coffee Leaf Rust Severity in Arabica Coffee of Aceh Tengah, Indonesia. Leuser Journal of Environmental Studies, 3(2), 79–86. https://doi.org/10.60084/ljes.v3i2.344

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 2 (2025): October 2025

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Articles

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Copyright (c) 2025 Teguh Arkadinata, Qalbin Salim Fazli, Alfizar Alfizar, Lukman Hakim, Ghazi Mauer Idroes

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