Plant Disease Research

Among various diseases of sugarcanes, fungal pathogens i.e., Cephalosporium sacchari Butler, Fusarium moniliforme Sheldon have been reported to cause wilt in sugarcane. The disease is quite serious in Punjab state and many good varieties under cultivation like CoJ 58 has been wiped out while some others like CoJ 78 and Co 89003 could not be released in the state due to their high susceptibility to wilt. The disease is sett-transmissible. Wilt reduces cane yield and impairs juice quality. Keeping in view the seriousness of the disease and due to limitation of the effectiveness of the other control measures, disease control through resistant variety is the best alternative. For this purpose the experiments were laid out in spring 2008, by planting different entries in Initial varietal trial (IVT) early and mid late, at Punjab Agricultural University, Regional Station, Faridkot, to find the resistant entries against wilt under natural epiphytotic conditions. The screening of entries was done using 0–9 scale. Results indicated that out of 31 entries evaluated in both the trials, 15 entries namely CoLK 04237, CoJ 64, CoPt 84211, CoS 05231, CoH 05265, CoS 05232, CoPK 05191, CoH 05221 (in IVT early trial) and CoH 05266, Co 05011, CoPb 05211, CoH 05269, CoLK 05203, CoS 8436, UP 05233 (in IVT mid late trial) were found resistant against wilt, with 0.1 to 2.0 grade. It was suggested that these resistant entries could be further used as donar in breeding programme, to develop high yielding and wilt resistant varieties of sugarcane in the Punjab.