This open-access book offers a detailed overview of methodologies aimed at enhancing resistance to leaf rust in coffee, a crucial cash crop and beverage. Coffea arabica L. (Arabica) represents about 60% of global coffee production, with coffee leaf rust (CLR), caused by the fungus Hemileia vastatrix, being the primary disease affecting it, leading to over $1 billion in annual losses. The spread of CLR is increasing due to climate change, and the genetic improvement of Arabica coffee is limited by its narrow genetic base. This book introduces mutation breeding as an effective method to boost genetic diversity in Arabica coffee, detailing practical techniques for mutation induction and resistance screening. It reviews current breeding strategies, challenges, and opportunities for improving Arabica coffee and surveys common coffee diseases, focusing on CLR. The book includes practical protocols for mutation induction and resistance screening, featuring innovative methods for single-cell mutagenesis through in vitro techniques and genome-wide screening of induced mutations using genomic tools. Each chapter provides an introduction and example results. Addressing the impact of recent CLR outbreaks on Arabica production in Latin America, this resource serves as a timely guide for students, researchers, plant pathologists, breeders, growers, and end-users interested in developing new coffee genotypes for research, breeding, and comme
