Dear Growers and Friends,
Coffee Leaf Rust has been officially confirmed by USDA to be on Maui and has tentatively been found on Hawaii Island. Please see the HDOA press release below for more information.
Growers, please scout your farms for any symptoms of coffee leaf rust. Here is my website and a poster that provides information and images of the disease on coffee trees.
If you suspect coffee leaf rust on any island, you can call HDOA's Plant Pest Control Branch at (808) 973-9525.
If you have questions about rust, the control of rust, or preventative treatments for this disease, you are welcome to contact me at andreak@hawaii.edu. You can also text me at (415) 604-1511.
Coffee Leaf Rust Sanitation Protocol
(Adopted from Rapid Ohia Death Protocol and provided by USDA-ARS)
As a precaution, please adopt the following decontamination protocols regardless of where you are
surveying/gathering materials.
Decontaminate before AND after you survey/collect samples. Never go from a suspected affected site to another site without cleaning your shoes, tools, and vehicle (when possible).
Tools and shoes should be cleaned with 70% rubbing 
alcohol solution after removal of any surface debris. Correctly label a spray bottle with a Sharpie pen as “70% isopropyl alcohol - Flammable”. Fill the spray bottle with isopropyl alcohol. Always take this bottle with you in any field vehicle for use after all field activities. Store in the vehicle in such a manner that it does not spill.
A freshly prepared 10% solution of chlorine bleach and water can be used as long as tools are oiled afterward, as chlorine bleach will corrode metal tools.
Clothing should be machine washed with detergent in hot water. Heat dry in a dryer as well, if possible.
Vehicles used in infected areas should be thoroughly cleaned; power washing is recommended.
Please be careful of the alcohol and bleach, and follow all label precautions to prevent damage to your
eyes, skin, respiratory system, clothing, and equipment.
-Andrea
