Reaction of sugarcane cultivars to Xanthomonas albilineans from different locations

• Grant number: 25/14736-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2025
• End date: September 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Alfredo Seiiti Urashima
• Grantee: Maria Eduarda Bueno da Silva
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Agrárias (CCA). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). Araras , SP, Brazil
• Company: Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV)
• Associated research grant: 17/25258-1 - Engineering Research Center - Plant Health in Sugarcane, AP.PCPE

Abstract

Leaf scald disease, a vascular disease of sugarcane caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas albilineans, has been causing great impact, affecting cane production, life span, and industrial quality of raw material. One of the main traits of the disease is latent infection, which leads to asymptomatic canes to be used as propagating materials for sugarcane field reform, the main inoculum source of the disease. Once introduced in field, asymptomatic canes can turn to symptomatic ones resulting in major yield loss; the level of damage depends of cultivar susceptibility. Cultivars currently recommended are considered tolerant/resistant, however, reports of leaf scald epidemics are frequent suggesting genetic diversity of X. albilineans. In this context, the present work aims to examine reaction of 14 commercial sugarcane cultivars to X. albilineans collected from different locations. Cultivars will be originated from healthy buds, grown in controlled conditions and, then, inoculated with bacterium isolates by the decapitation technique; host reaction will be carried out by rating score of foliar symptoms. The randomized block design will be employed and results be analyzed by ANOVA and Tukey test. Therefore, it is expected to rank sugarcane cultivars to leaf scald disease and contribute to a better disease management. (AU)