Pokkah Boeng disease of sugarcane: Current status and opportunities

Pokkah Boeng is a fungal airborne disease and has major role in sugarcane cultivation as it causes significant economic losses in sugarcane. It is caused by Fusarium spp. complex. The most frequent spp. of Fusarium causing this disease is Fusarium proliferatum, F. moniliformae, F. verticillioides, F. sacchari and F. andiyazi. Disease causes reduction in yield and quality parameters by reducing cane height, cane girth, length of internodes, pol% and sucrose%. The yield losses vary from 5-90% due to Pokka boeng disease. Fusarium species typically produce macroconidia and microconidia, as well as mycelia and chlamydospores that serve as propagules in infecting host plants. Most species of Fusarium are parasitic nature with some producing mycotoxins on plants. A little knowledge about tolerance of host for pathogen is available. Use of resistant cultivars and few chemical methods have been suggested to control the disease. However, chemical fungicides can be hazardous to human as well as animal health. In addition, use of biocontrol microorganisms such as Trichoderma can prove to be very effective in controlling this disease.