Content area
Full Text
About the Authors:
Zhenyue Lin
Contributed equally to this work with: Zhenyue Lin, Shiqiang Xu
Affiliations Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
Shiqiang Xu
Contributed equally to this work with: Zhenyue Lin, Shiqiang Xu
Affiliation: Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
Youxiong Que
Affiliation: Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
Jihua Wang
Affiliation: Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
Jack C. Comstock
Affiliation: USDA-ARS-Sugarcane Field Station, Canal Point, Florida, United States of America
Jinjin Wei
Affiliation: Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
Per H. McCord
Affiliation: USDA-ARS-Sugarcane Field Station, Canal Point, Florida, United States of America
Baoshan Chen
Affiliation: Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
Rukai Chen
Affiliation: Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
Muqing Zhang
* E-mail: [email protected]
Affiliations Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
Introduction
Sugarcane pokkah boeng is an economically important fungal disease worldwide [1], which was first described in Java by Walker and Went in 1896, and the name was a Javanese term denoting a malformed or distorted top. Since then, pokkah boeng has been recorded in almost all cane growing countries, but it only causes severe damage in areas where susceptible varieties are widely planted during a hot and dry season followed by a wet season [2]. A survey of different sugarcane areas in India found that the incidence of pokkah boeng increased from 2007 to 2013 and affected almost all of the sugarcane cultivars, which was recommended for general cultivation for different agricultural climatic regions. From 2012 to 2013, a 90% infection rate was observed in S224/20 from Shahjahanpur, India, while CoSe01434 had a 5%–30% infection rate [3].
Three to seven month-old sugarcane is more susceptible to infection than plants in later stages of growth [1]. After infection, the leaves become crumpled, twisted, and shortened. Irregular reddish stripes and specks then develop within the chlorotic tissue and form lens or rhomboid-shaped holes. Leaf sheaths may also become chlorotic and develop irregular necrotic areas of reddish color [1]. The most serious injury is infection of the growing tip of the plant, which results in the loss of the entire top of plant and is referred to as top rot [1], [4]. Thus, sugarcane pokkah boeng has become a...