Isolation and pathogenic variability of Colletotrichum falcatum causing red rot in sugarcane

Abstract

Red rot of sugarcane caused by the fungus Colletotrichum falcatum Went is the most destructive and severe disease worldwide. The present study identifies the C. falcatum which causes sugarcane red rot in the south Gujarat province of India. A survey was carried out in different sugarcane cultivars region, and nine strains isolated were identified as C. falcatum by using the sequencing of ITS rRNA gene. Pathogenicity tests validated on nine different sugarcane cultivars showed strain cfCHA infected maximum seven cultivars (virulence frequency 77.9 %). Interestingly, none of the C. falcatum isolates were able to infect the Co94004 cultivars, whereas Co671 cultivars infected by all the isolates of C. falcatum. This result has important implications for sugarcane breeding programmes in which Co94004 can be recommended to the farmers of south Gujarat regions, India.