Sugarcane mosaic virus infection progress in relation to age of sugarcane

Abstract

The impact of age of sugarcane on SCMV infection was assessed in two sugarcane cultivars viz., CoC 671 and Co 740. The sugarcane plants of one, two, three, four, five and six months aged were inoculated with sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) and infection progress was assessed at 15, 30 and 60 days after inoculation. The infection progress was assessed by external symptoms and also by direct antigen coating (DAC)-ELISA with polyclonal antiserum raised against SCMV. The one and two months aged sugarcane plants were highly susceptible and infection progress was very fast whereas five and six months aged plants showed very slow infection progress. All the plants of one and two months aged were assayed positive after 30days. Whereas five and six months aged plants recorded only 22 and 1 per cent infection, respectively even after 60 days of inoculation. Among the two cultivars the progress of infection is relatively lesser in Co 740.The results revealed that age of the plants does have a definite impact on SCMV infection and the progress of infection declined with ageing. It varied with cultivars also.