About the Book

Sugarcane is the major crop grown across the tropical and subtropical climates for sugar and bioethanol. In many countries, the crop is considered as a plantation crop as it is grown in thousands of hectares in sugar estates. Vegetative propagation favours introduction of many diseases through planting material to new location, region or country. Further, growing of sugarcane in a plantation scale and multiple ratooning, provide a congenial atmosphere for disease development, spread and build-up of disease epidemics. Sugarcane is being affected by different pathogens belonging to fungi, bacteria, viruses and phytoplasmas in India. Moreover, serious diseases like red rot, wilt and grassy shoot that are unique to our country and they poses greater challenges to sugarcane cultivation along with other major diseases like smut, yellow leaf and other diseases. Research on sugarcane diseases was initiated during the first decade of the last century. Dr E.J. Butler, Founder of Plant Pathology in India, described extensively on sugarcane diseases. In the tropics, Dr. C.A. Barber, Government Botanist and Founder of ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore reported red rot for the first time from the country, worked extensively on disease epidemiology and management and ultimately founded the institute to breed red rot resistant varieties. His first set of red rot resistant inter-specific hybrids were introduced in Punjab during 1918 and this effort revolutionized sugarcane cultivation in India. He has strategically deployed red rot resistance to Saccharum officinarum, the noble canes from S. spontaneum, the wild sugarcane and the process of ‘nobilization’ is regarded as a pioneering work in resistance breeding, across the crops. From then onwards the dreaded disease ‘red rot’ is being managed through host resistance. With a such strong foundation laid by Dr. Barber and Dr Butler on sugarcane research, India leads on various fields of sugarcane research in the world, especially on ‘Sugarcane Breeding’ and ‘Sugarcane Pathology’. During the last 12 decades, many diseases were recorded and detailed studies were conducted on their etiology, epidemiology and management. Many fungal and bacterial pathogens affect the stalks, the economic part in sugarcane and it seriously impacts sugar extraction and causes huge economical losses. Probably, due to climate change, outbreaks of minor diseases like rust, brown spot, pokkah boeng and leaf fleck were recorded in the country, and their impact to the crop was assessed in the recent years. There are overlapping symptoms caused by these pathogens on the stalks that need a better description. Similarly, many fungal, bacterial and viral diseases cause varying and overlapping symptoms on the leaves. Also, we need to compile updated information on symptoms, epidemiology and management of sugarcane diseases in a comprehensive manner. Earlier, the first author has written two handbooks published by ICAR-SBI on sugarcane diseases and that immensely benefitted the scientific community and extension personnel. Presently, Indian Phytopathological Society (IPS) has come forward to publish the updated information on sugarcane diseases as a ‘Compendium on sugarcane diseases’ and we thank the society for the patronage. The compendium will serve as a quick reference guide to identify sugarcane diseases and to suggest disease management measures. This compendium will immensely benefit students, scientific community, sugar industry and extension personnel. The compilation depicts clear symptoms of various diseases recorded by the fist author in different states in the country; in this regard, support rendered by the sugar industry is gratefully acknowledged. In addition, we acknowledge the scientists from India and abroad for sharing images on some diseases. We thank Dr Pratibha Sharma, President of IPS, Dr Robin Gogoi, Secretary, IPS, Dr B. N. Chakraborty, Chief Editor, Indian Phytopathology and other office bearers of the society for their support to publish this compendium.

Contents

1. Red Rot (3-7)

2. Smut (8-12)

3. Wilt (13-16)

4. Twisted Top (Pokkah Boeng) (17-20)

5. Pineapple Disease (Sett Rot) (21-24)

6. Rust (25-28)

7. Leaf scald (29-32)

8. Ratoon stunting (33-36)

9. Red stripe (37-40)

10. Yellow leaf (41-44)

11. Mosaic (45-48)

12. Leaf fleck (49-52)

13. Grassy shoot (53-57)

14. Varietal degeneration in sugarcane (58-62)

15. Ring Spot (63-65)

16. Yellow Spot (66-68)

17. Eye Spot (69-71)

18. Brown Spot (72-75)

19. Brown Stripe (76-78)

20. Root Rot (79-81)

21. Downy Mildew (82-84)

22. Stalk Rot (Rind Disease / Sour Rot) (85-87)

23. Closely related and distinguishing symptoms of sugarcane diseases (88-95)