Studies on yield and quality of sugarcane affected by mixed infection of sugarcane grassy shoot and sugarcane yellow leaf diseases

A survey conducted in 2022 in different districts of Andhra Pradesh, India revealed the presence of sugarcane grassy shoot disease and sugarcane yellow leaf disease in most of the sugarcane growing fields throughout the state. The incidence of sugarcane grassy shoot varied from 30 to 40% and sugarcane yellow leaf virus varied from 30 to 60% at all the surveyed locations. Different yield and quality parameters were compared in healthy and infected canes. The phytoplasma presence was confirmed by nested PCR assays using universal phytoplasma primers and the virus presence was confirmed by PCR assays using coat and movement protein primers. According to the study’s findings, this disease is significant, widely prevalent, and has a negative impact on sugarcane yield and quality parameters, causing substantial losses.