Sugarcane
Smut of Sugarcane
Sporisorium scitamineum
Fungus
In a Nutshell
- Black, whip-like structure grows in the plant.
- Stunted plant growth.
- Thin, stiff leaves.
Can also be found in
Sugarcane
Symptoms
A black, thin structure like a whip comes out of the part of the sugarcane where it grows. This structure usually sticks out above the top of the infected plant. It is made of a mixture of sugarcane tissue and fungus tissue. The spores of the fungus are stored inside the whip structure. Once the spores are released, only the center of the whip is left. The sugarcane plant also stops growing and its leaves become thin and hard.
Recommendations
Organic Control
Remove infected stalks and destroy all residues of infected plants. To ensure disease-free seeding material, dip sugarcane cuttings in a 52°C hot water bath for 30 minutes.
Chemical Control
Always consider an integrated approach with preventive measures as well as biological treatments if available. Treatment of sets with fungicides like benzimidazole before planting can help to reduce the incidence of the disease in the fields.
What caused it?
The spores of the disease that come from the whip-like structure are spread by wind and by insects. They can also be spread when people use infected sugarcane stalks to start new plants. The disease is more likely to spread when it is warm and humid. Infected sugarcane plants can grow for several months without showing any signs of the disease. After two to four months (sometimes up to one year), the part of the sugarcane where it grows starts to produce the whip-like structure.
Preventive Measures
- Plant varieties of sugarcane that are resistant to the disease.
- Use healthy sugarcane plants to start new plants. Plant different crops in the same area over time.
- Use heat treatment on seeds to kill the disease before planting them.
- This can be done by exposing the seeds to moist hot air at 54°C for 150 minutes or hot water at 50°C for 2 hours.
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