DISEASES | CAUSAL ORGANISM |
Red rot | Colletotrichum falcatum |
Whip smut | Ustilago scitaminea |
Sett rot or pine apple disease | Ceratocystis paradoxa |
Rust | Puccinia erianthi |
Gummosis | Xanthomonas campestris pv. vasculorum |
Mosaic | Sugarcane mosaic virus |
Grassy shoot | Mycoplasma like organism [MLO] |
Iron chlorosis | Iron deficiency |
Ratoon stunting | Clavibacter xyli |
Witch weed | Striga angustifolia [Partial root parasite] |

- Adopt crop rotation by including rice and green manure crops
- Avoid ratooning of the diseased crop
- Select setts from the diseased free field or area
- Soak the setts in 0.1 % carbendazim or 0.25 % Emisan for 20 min. before planting.
- Grow resistant varieties like COC 62198, CO 7704, COC 771,772 and CO 86249
2. WHIP SMUT – Ustilago scitaminea

SymptomsThe affected plants are stunted and the central shoot is converted in to long whip – like, dusty black structure. In early stages, this structure is covered by a thin, white papery membrane and on maturity, it ruptures and millions of tiny black spores (teliospores) are liberated and dessiminated by wind. Affected plants produce more tillers than the healthy onesMode of Spread and SurvivalThe pathogen spreads through air borne teliospores and survives as Teliospores in soil and infested settsEpidemiologyMonoculturing of sugarcane and dry weather during tillering stage helps the diseaseManagement
- Plant healthy setts taken from disease free area
- Remove and destroy the smutted clump
- Discourage ratooning of the diseased crops
- Setts can be treated with aerated steam therapy [AST] at 52o C for 5 min.
- Grow resistant varieties like CO 449, 527, 6806, 7704, 8139 and COC 86062
3. SETT ROT OR PINE APPLE DISEASE – Ceratocystis paradoxa

- Use long setts with 3-4 buds for planting and provide adequate drainage facilities during rainy periods
- Soak the setts in 0.05 % carbendazim or 0.25 % Emisan for 15 mins
4. RUST – Puccinia erianthi

- Remove the collateral hosts
- Spray tridemorph @ 1 kg/ha or mancozeb @ 2 kg/ha
- Grow resistant varieties like CO 475, CP 44-101 and Q 50
5. GUMMOSIS – Xanthomonas campestris pv. vasculorum

SymptomsAffected mature leaves produce longitudinal stripes which are pale yellow in colour which later turn to brown. The infected canes are stunted with short internodes, gives a bushy appearance. Infected canes split open longitudinally, a dull yellow bacterial ooze comes out from the cut endsMode of Spread and SurvivalSpreads through wind splashed rain and animals. Survives in the infected settsEpidemiologyA temperature of 280 C encourage the diseaseManagement
- Remove and burn the affected clumps and the stubbles in the field
- Select setts from the disease free areas
- Grow resistant varieties like CO 281, 290

- Rogue out the diseased clumps periodically
- The setts may be treated 3 days before planting [1st day – 520 C for 20 mins. 2nd day – 57.30 C for 20 mins. 3rd day — 57.30 C for 20 mins]
- Treat the setts in Aerated steam therapy [AST] at 510 C for 2 hrs
GRASSY SHOOT | IRON CHLOROSIS |
Caused by MLO and transmitted by Aphid – Rhopalosiphum maidis | Caused by iron deficiency |
Leaf size is reduced. Spindle leaf turns papery white | Leaf size is normal and leaves are chlorotic |
Tillering is profuse and canes give grassy shoot appearance [lanky]. Canes are not millable. | Tillering is normal and canes are nearly normal and millable |
Secondary spread is through insects | Iron chlorosis do not spread from one plant to another |
Disease occurs not in patches | Chlorotic plants are seen in patches |
No chemicals available to control in MLO but disease spread is checked by spraying insecticides | Salt containing iron (FeSO4) applied as foliar spray or soil application rectifies the deficiency |

- The crop stubble should also be uprooted and burnt to prevent the continued growth and seedling of the parasite
- Grow trap crops such as cotton, sunflower, groundnut and other legumes are reduces the seed reservoir of Striga