Shade tree traits and microclimate modifications: Implications for pathogen management in biodiverse coffee agroforests

Diversified coffee agroforests modify microclimate conditions in comparison to monocultures, impacting the success of significant plant pathogens, such as Hemileia vastatrix, which causes coffee leaf rust (CLR). However, research is often limited to the dichotomous analysis of shaded agroforestry systems or unshaded monocultures, often overlooking the nuanced effect of shade tree trait diversity. Our study aims to determine the cumulative effects of shade tree canopy architectural characteristics and leaf functional traits in biodiverse agroforests on microclimate modifications and CLR incidence. We measured plot-level microclimate conditions (air temperature, relative humidity, leaf wetness duration, throughfall kinetic energy) in three single-stratum and two double-strata shade tree canopy treatments, including Erythrina poeppigiana, Terminalia amazonia, and Chloroleucon eurycyclum. Commonly reported canopy characteristics and leaf traits were compared to average microclimate conditio...