Sugarcane In India Research Articles

Impact of the viruses associated with mosaic and yellow leaf disease on varietal degeneration in sugarcane

The viruses Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) and Sugarcane streak mosaic virus (SCSMV) causing mosaic disease and Sugarcane yellow leaf virus (SCYLV) causing yellow leaf disease (YLD) are synergistically associated with varietal degeneration of sugarcane in India. The objectives of the study were to understand the degree of degeneration in the sugarcane cultivar CoJ 64 due to the mixed infection of the three viruses. The study was also aimed to quantify the threshold limit of viruses for the plant to express the symptoms. Symptomatic plants exhibited significant reductions in germination and growth as compared to the asymptomatic plants and maintained poor vigour. Such plants recorded significant reductions in different physiological parameters such as photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, chlorophyll fluorescence ratio and leaf chlorophyll content. At the time of harvest a drastic reduction in the juice yield by 30.13–36.04% was found. Diagnosis by qRT-PCR revealed that both asymptomatic and the symptomatic plants showed mixed infections of all the three viruses. The copy numbers in the asymptomatic plants were detected between 102 and 103 for all the three viruses whereas, the copy numbers in the symptomatic plants were in the range of 104 and 106 for all the three viruses. The present study established a threshold limit of three RNA viruses causing varietal degeneration in sugarcane and this information will be used while selecting new varieties to avoid varietal degeneration under field conditions.

Trend Analysis of Area Production and Productivity of Sugarcane in India

Trend Analysis of Area Production and Productivity of Sugarcane in India

Phylogenetic analysis and signature of recombination hotspots in sugarcane mosaic virus infecting sugarcane in India

Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) one of the causative viruses of mosaic disease in sugarcane occurs in sugarcane growing countries worldwide. India is the second largest sugarcane producing country and genome of SCMV from India has not been characterized so far. Hence detailed studies were carried out to characterize the virus isolates based on its complete genome. Comparative genome analyses of five new isolates were performed with previously reported SCMV full genome sequences of isolates infecting sugarcane, maize, sorghum and Canna. Sequence identity matrix and phylogenetic analyses clearly represented that Indian isolates are closely related to sugarcane infecting isolates reported from Australia, Argentina, China and Iran and they diverged as a separate subgroup from other reported maize infecting isolates from Mexico, China, Ohio, Spain, Germany, Iran, Ethiopia, Kenya and Eucador. Selection pressure analysis clearly depicted the predomination of strong purifying selection throughout the viral genome, and strongest in CI and HC-Pro gene. Evidence for few positively selected sites was identified in all the cistrons except in 6 K1 and Nib rep. Among the genomic region, CI gene has exhibited comparatively more recombination hotspots followed by HC-Pro unlike other reported isolates. As the cultivation of sugarcane first originated in India, our results from the recombination events strongly suggest that Indian SCMV populations contribute for the emergence of upcoming new recombinant SCMV isolates not only within the sugarcane isolates but also with maize infecting isolates of SCMV in other countries irrespective of geographic origin and host type.

Modelling of sugarcane yield using LISS-IV data based on ground LAI and yield observations

Crop acreage estimation and forecasting the yield of agricultural crops before harvest is of prime importance to a nation with a well-organized food and agricultural economy. Discrimination vigor assessment and yield estimation are some of the main concern of remote sensing applications. Sugarcane in India is a high priority crop for the Government. The aim of this study is to discuss the possibility of sugarcane plant yield estimation using an empirical relationship derived leaf area index (LAI) and farm scale sugarcane plant yield. The ground measurements of sugarcane LAI have been taken with the help of Accupar LP-80 Ceptometer instrument. A strong exponential relation (R2 = 0.861) is observed between ground measured LAI and LISS-IV sensor NDVI. The yield model is developed using regression analysis between plot-wise yield data with LISS-IV LAI data. This empirical yield model has been found to give a reasonably fair indication (R2 = 0.714) of the expected yield of sugarcane in advance.

Sustainable sugarcane initiative (SSI)-an approach to enhance sugarcane cultivation and input use efficiency and sustainable yield of sugarcane in India

Sustainable sugarcane initiative (SSI)-an approach to enhance sugarcane cultivation and input use efficiency and sustainable yield of sugarcane in India

Redescription and molecular characterisation of Hemicriconemoides rosae Rathour, Sharma, Singh & Ganguly, 2003 from rhizosphere of sugarcane in India

Summary A population of a Hemicriconemoides species was found from the rhizosphere of sugarcane in the Meerut district, Uttar Pradesh, India. Preliminary morphological studies led to the identification of the species as H. rosae. Further morphological and morphometric characterisation of the species was carried out by light microscopy. The gross morphology was consistent with the description of H. rosae except for some deviations in measurements. Here we present an amended description of the species together with illustrations and additional morphometric and morphological characters. The diagnostic relationship of H. rosae is given based on morphological and molecular information and a comparative study of paratype and holotype females. In addition, ITS rRNA and D2-D3 sequences were used for the construction of evolutionary relationship by Bayesian inference. The present study provides molecular data and a redescription of H. rosae collected from the rhizosphere of sugarcane in India.

Assessment of Sugarcane Germplasm ( Saccharum spp. complex) Against Red Rot Pathogen Colletotrichum Falcatum

ABSTRACT Red rot, caused by Colletotrichum falcatum Went is the most important disease of sugarcane in India inflicting substantial loss to both cane industry and cane growers. To keep in view the importance of red rot disease of sugarcane, 117 accession of sugarcane germplasm including different Saccharum species and Indian and foreign commercial hybrids were tested against red rot with Cf 07, Cf 08 & Cf 09 (national pathotypes) by plug method of inoculation. Out of 117, 6 were found resistant and 12 were moderately resistant against red rot and rest were moderately susceptible/susceptible/highly susceptible. Theses resistance and moderately resistant accession can be further utilize to produce resistance varieties against the most devastating pathogen of sugarcane.

An Economic Analysis of Sugarcane Cultivation and its Productivity in Major Sugar Producing States of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra

An effort has been made in this study to examine the trends in area, production, productivity, costs, returns and profitability of sugarcane and to determine the factors which are contributing toward productivity of sugarcane in major sugar producing states of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. It has been observed that area expansion has significantly contributed towards increased production of sugarcane but productivity has remained stagnant. Cost of cultivation of sugarcane also witnessed increasing trend and due to much higher use of inputs, it was found to be higher for Maharashtra than Uttar Pradesh. However growth of value of output has outpaced the growth of cost of cultivation and thus rising trend of profitability was observed and was higher for Uttar Pradesh as compared to that of Maharashtra. The study found the positive and significant contribution of human labour, machine, fertilizers, insecticides and size of plot towards productivity of sugarcane and thus efficient management of these inputs can certainly led to increasing the productivity of sugarcane in India.

Trichoderma harzianum mediated suppression of red rot (Colletotrichum falcatum Went) in Sugarcane

Red rot of sugarcane caused by the pathogen Colletotrichum falcatum Went is a major constraint in the profitable cultivation of sugarcane in India. A field experiment was conducted to assess the impact of soil application of Trichoderma multiplied culture (TMC) @220 kg/ ha alone or in combination with MHAT on red rot induced bud mortality in sugarcane. Setts of genotype CoS 96268 (moderately resistant) and CoLk 7701 (susceptible), pre inoculated with C. falcatum, were subjected to MHAT, TMC application or combination of both and planted. The findings of the study indicated that sett treatment with MHAT alone or in combination with TMC soil application was highly effective in suppressing C. falcatum induced bud mortality.

A 100 years of biological control of sugarcane pests in India: review and perspective.

Abstract Insect pests constitute a major biotic stress in sugarcane in India as they attack the crop from the time of planting until almost harvest, inflicting yield and sugar losses. Biological control has always received a prominent position among the pest management tools, facilitated by the unique semi-perennial crop habitat and low pesticide usage. Biocontrol research of the early 1930s and 40s was characterized by surveys focusing on identification and studies on the basic biology of natural enemies. Conservation and re-distribution, and introduction and colonization of predominant parasitoids was practiced very early, and even in the recent past, with remarkable success. Mass multiplication and field evaluation that began in the early decades continue today, as is demonstrated by the use of the most exploited parasitoid Trichogramma chilonis . Several parasitoids and predators of borers and sucking pests were investigated systematically when the need arose. Among entomopathogens, granulosis viruses and fungi received considerable attention; a simple formulation of Beauveria brongniartii reached commercial production for the control of the white grub Holotrichia serrata . In recent years, isolates of Bacillus thuringiensis from sugarcane soil have been examined and a scarabaeid-specific cry gene has been identified. Preliminary studies of kairomonal principles from borers as attractants to the larval parasitoid Cotesia flavipes have been carried out. Organizational support to the cause of biological control includes coordinated research efforts from government agencies, production of biocontrol agents by commercial insectaries and promotion of technologies by the sugar industry. In this review, we chronicle the major research findings over the past eight decades, portray an overview of their significance and project the prospects and priorities for biological control research and promotion in the country.

Understanding sugarcane defence responses during the initial phase of Colletotrichum falcatum pathogenesis by suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH)

Red rot caused by the fungus Colletotrichum falcatum Went is a destructive disease of sugarcane in India and other Asian countries. The pathogen infects the economically valuable stalk tissue which results in severe yield loss and impaired juice quality. Visible symptoms of the disease appear in the pathogen inoculated cane tissue after 72 h as reddish tissue discoloration. However, early molecular events that occur between the host and the pathogen before 72 h are poorly understood. To understand the molecular defense responses between sugarcane and C. falcatum interaction before phenotyphic symptom expression, we employed suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) in sugarcane stalk tissue samples collected at 12 h and 36 h after pathogen inoculation in a red rot resistant cultivar. RNA samples of red rot resistant cv. Co 93009 collected at 12 h and 36 h after C. falcatum inoculation were used as a tester and the corresponding RNA samples of red rot susceptible cv.CoC 671 collected at 12 h and 36 h after pathogen inoculation and mock samples of cv. Co 93009 were used as drivers for the two individual subtractions. At the end of subtractive hybridization and sequencing, a total of 139 EST's were obtained from the two libraries which were functionally categorized as belonging to recognition and signal transduction, oxidative stress, redox maintenance, membrane trafficking and transport, defence and programmed cell death, energy and photosynthesis, metabolism, secondary metabolite biosynthesis, cell/nuclear structure and unknown categories. In 12 h response library (12hRL), the abundance of recognition and signal transduction ESTs were high whereas in 36 h response library (36hRL), ESTs homologous to nucleic acid metabolism were high. Further gene expression of a set of 12 candidate ESTs was validated by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) in the same set of red rot resistant and susceptible cultivars. This study identified a network of early defence responses and associated signals for the first time in a red rot resistant sugarcane cultivar in response to C. falcatum infection.

Sugarcane Production Scenario in India with Particular Reference to Punjab

The present study, conducted to examine the over time changes in area, production and productivity of sugarcane in India with particular reference to Punjab, has been based on secondary data. The secondary data pertaining to the area, production and productivity of sugarcane for the study period 1980–81 to 2013–14 were culled from various published sources. The study highlighted that area as well as production of sugarcane in India nearly doubled during the study period. The production profile of sugarcane in major sugarcane producing states of India revealed that Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are the major sugarcane producing states of India. In 2013–14, contribution of Punjab to sugarcane production of India has been reported as 1.8 per cent. The productivity of sugarcane in Punjab is less than that of India. The study further highlighted the declining compound annual growth rate for sugarcane area, production and productivity for India as well as Punjab during the later part (2000–01 to 2013–14) of the study period. Notwithstanding, the declining growth rates of area under sugarcane, the proportion of net sown area allocated to sugarcane cultivation has increased from what it was in the beginning of the study period, both in the case of India and Punjab. Decomposition analysis illustrated the role of increasing the sugarcane acreage in a bid to increase the sugarcane production in the country at large and Punjab in particular.

My Experiences on Physiological Research on Sugarcane in India

In tropical India where crop subjected to moisture stress at formative and elongation phases unlike sub-tropic records significantly low sugar recovery, especially during early stages of maturity, being more obvious in late maturing varieties. The optimum level of sett moisture for rapid and high germination was assessed to be in the range of 72–74 %. Sprouting of bud and early growth were influenced more by sett moisture than soil moisture. Physiological basis for varietal improvement under stress environment has been described and need for breeding the physiological traits conferring to environmental stress has been suggested. The major factors which contribute to sugar losses in standing crops and post harvest period have been briefly described and also measures to minimize inversion losses in milled juice have been indicated. Investigations on basic aspects of control of flowering made it possible to inhibit flowering under field conditions through defoliation, chemical spray and withholding irrigation, resulting in an increase in cane and sugar yield. The leaf area ratio showed negative and significant correlation with cane yield but positive with sucrose content. The use of leaf area index for selection of genetic yield potential has been suggested. Studies on gibberellic acid relationship of growth hormone and inhibitor with bud and root sprouting of stubble in ratoon under low temperature condition have been suggested. Farmers in sub-tropic unlike tropic are not able to timely provide essential production inputs and as a result harvest poor yield. Similarly, in sugar mills, adoption of varieties, especially low yielding, early rich sugar varieties get top priority compared to crop management particularly in sub-tropic. These are the reasons for a big gap between actual and potential yield in sub-tropic, indicating a great scope for improving yield in sub-tropic through effective measures.

Variability in Breeding Pool of Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) for Yield, Quality and Resistance to Different Biotic and Abiotic Stress Factors

The understanding on the available genetic variability in the breeding pool aids the breeder to choose better parental combinations for the desired genetic improvement in crop plants. The variability present in the National Hybridisation Garden (NHG) of sugarcane in India at Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore with an assemblage of 606 clones of sugarcane cultivars and other elite hybrids were studied for cane yield components, juice quality parameters and their level of resistance against red rot. The data on smut resistance, tolerance to stalk borer and tolerance to different abiotic stresses like drought, salinity, water logging, low temperature, high temperature and winter ratooning ability of these clones to be used parental clones were collected from the available literature. Significant leptokurtic distribution for the cane characters and right skewed distribution for juice quality traits were observed in this breeding pool. Correlation studies indicated that selection of parents contributing to high cane height and high number of millable canes (NMC) would result in progeny with high single cane weight (SCW) and cane yield because, the SCW was negatively correlated with NMC and cane thickness. Clones with high per se performance for important yield contributing characters were identified which are potential parents for yield improvement. For sucrose content, a highly heritable trait in sugarcane, nineteen clones with high juice sucrose of more than 20 % were found to be suitable as parents for quality enhancement. One hundred and thirty-seven clones were found as either resistant (R) or moderately Rto the most virulent races of red rot pathogen by testing with mixed inoculum of Cf 671 and Cf 94012 isolates. Screening of the clones for pollen fertility inferred that NHG has higher number of clones that can be used as female parent than as male parent. The synchrony in flowering of female and male parental clones with desirable traits of interest and the combining ability of the clones are also discussed in this paper. The critical consideration of the different parameters in choosing suitable parental clones in crossing programme will help in rapid varietal improvement for cane and sugar yield as well as to enhance the resistance against different biotic and abiotic stresses for increased sugarcane productivity.

Genetic diversity of Sugarcane bacilliform virus isolates infecting Saccharum spp. in India

Sugarcane bacilliform virus (SCBV), which causes leaf freckle in sugarcane, is a member of the genus Badnavirus. Studies were conducted to characterize SCBV in Saccharum officinarum germplasm and cultivated varieties in India by sequencing the complete genomes of five isolates. Genome lengths ranged from 7,553 to 7,884 nucleotides. Duplications in ORF3 and insertions in the RNase H-domain in some of the isolates were found to contribute to the large size of their genomes. The Indian SCBV isolates share identities of 69-85 % for the complete genomic sequence, indicating wide genetic diversity among them, and share 70-82 % identity with Sugarcane bacilliform Ireng Maleng virus (SCBIMV) and Sugarcane bacilliform Morocco virus (SCBMV), as well as 43-46 % identity with Banana streak virus (BSV) and BSV-related SCBV species from Guadeloupe, indicating that the Indian SCBV isolates are distinct from SCBV isolates reported to date. Irrespective of the region compared, SCBV isolates from India, Australia, and Morocco clustered together. BSV and BSV-related SCBV isolates from Guadeloupe formed another cluster. A phylogenetic analysis based on the partial RT/RNase H-sequence separated SCBV and BSV-related SCBV sequences into 11 SCBV groups viz. SCBV-A to -K. Among the 11 groups, the SCBV sequences separated under H, I, J, and K are newly identified in this study, representing three new species and are tentatively named as SCBBBV, SCBBOV, and SCBBRV. Thus, the PASC and phylogenetic analyses evidenced that the symptoms associated with badnaviruses in sugarcane in India are caused by at least three new species, SCBBBV, SCBBOV, and SCBBRV, besides SCBIMV and SCBMV represented by SCBV-BT and SCBV-Iscam, respectively.

Alternative Sweeteners Production from Sugarcane in India: Lump Sugar (Jaggery)

Importance of sweeteners has long been recognized in Indian diets. Sweetness and flavour are very important as regards consumers’ acceptability. The sugar and jaggery are the main sweetening agents which are added to beverages and foods for increasing palatability. Over the years, food habits of human beings have been greatly influenced by research and developmental activities and also due to their health consciousness. Despite witnessing pressure of industrialization, the jaggery industry has flourished in different states of the country viz; Uttar Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. The increasing trend of their production is of much significance to learn about peoples’ liking towards jaggery in rural areas mainly due to it’s nutritional and medicinal values. About 25-30% of sugarcane produced in the country is utilized for production of jaggery and khandsari and this industry serves as very important means of subsistence and livelihood for masses. The technology and equipment for production of quality jaggery and its value added products have been developed. Due to its nutritional and medicinal values, the jaggery has great export potential in the world.

Genetic Diversity of Sugarcane Grassy Shoot (SCGS)-Phytoplasmas Causing Grassy Shoot Disease in India

Sugarcane grassy shoot (SCGS) caused by SCGS-phytoplasmas is a serious disease of sugarcane. Since the diseased plants exhibit various phenotypic symptoms under field conditions, diagnosis of the disease becomes difficult. A detailed study was conducted on validating phytoplasma specific primers for the diagnosis of the disease and to identify the extent of variations in rDNA genome of SCGS-phytoplasmas. A total of 37 sugarcane samples with different phenotypic symptoms of SCGS were collected from various states of India. Nested-PCR amplification using two sets of forward (P1/P7) and reverse primers (P4/P7) of 16S rRNA gene, 16S–23S rRNA spacer region (SR) and 23S rRNA gene sequences amplified SCGS-phytoplasmas in all the suspected samples. Nucleotide sequence analysis clearly revealed that 18 isolates of SCGS-phytoplasmas from different locations/varieties showed no variation in the targeted gene sequences. Although there were significant variations in phenotypic expression of SCGS phytoplasmas on sugarcane, we could not establish any genotypic variation among the pathogenic isolates in rDNA region. All our sequences matched exactly with other reported phytoplasmal isolates of SCGS-Pun (DQ459439), SCGS (DQ380341), SCGS-CM1 (AM269740) and SCGS-SV1 (AM269742) from India. Among the other reported SCGS phytoplasmas it shared sequence similarity ranging from 99.7 to 94.3%. Our SCGS phytoplasmas showed 99.6% similarity with other phytoplasmas infecting sugarcane such as sugarcane white leaf (SCWL) and 97.8% with SCYL. The closely related phytoplasmas such as BraWL and SGS phytoplasmas showed 99.6% similarities with our SCGS-phytoplasmas. However, distantly related phytoplasmas FBP and CBY1 and StLL showed sequence similarities between 84.3 and 82.4%. Restriction of the amplicons with a set of restriction enzymes did not show any polymorphism among them. 16S rRNA, 16S–23S rRNA SR and 23S rRNA sequencing and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) results proved that the phytoplasma isolates infecting sugarcane in India with phenotypic variations from different regions have similar ITS region and further studies are needed to locate other genes in phytoplasma genome which determine variations in phenotypic expression in the SCGS disease.

Detection of a 16SrXII phytoplasma associated with sugarcane yellow leaf syndrome in India

Phytoplasma strain was detected in leaves of sugarcane in India exhibiting symptoms of yellowing of midribs. A phytoplasma characteristic 1.2 kb rDNA PCR product was amplified from DNAs of all diseased samples but not in healthy sugarcane plants tested using phytoplasma universal primer pairs P1/P7 and f5U/r3U. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of amplified 16S rDNA indicated that diseased sugarcane was infected by phytoplasma. The 16S rDNA sequence of the Indian sugarcane yellow leaf phytoplasma (SCYLP) showed the closest identity (99%) to that of SCYLP in Cuba identified as Macroptilium lathyroides (AY725233), which belongs to 16SrXII (Stolbur group). This is the first record of the detection of SCYLP, and identification of the 16SrXII group of phytoplasma associated with yellow leaf syndrome (YLS) in India.

Identification of a virus naturally infecting sorghum in India as Sugarcane streak mosaic virus

The virus associated with mosaic disease of sorghum growing around the sugarcane fields in Andhra Pradesh state, India was found to be serologically related to the Sugarcane streak mosaic virus (SStMV) and Sorghum mosaic Parbhani virus (SMPV). The reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of the total RNA from the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay positive sorghum samples with the potyvirus specific degenerate primers yielded an amplicon of ∼500 bp. This amplicon sequence had a 95% identity to the SStMV-Andhra Pradesh (SStMV-AP) and SStMV-Coimbatore isolates reported to naturally infect sugarcane in India. Further confirmation was made by RT-PCR of these samples with the SStMV-AP sequence specific primers that yielded ∼1,000 bp amplicon comprising the entire coat protein and 3′ UTR of the viral genome. This amplicon sequence also had a identity of 95% at nucleotide level with the SStMV-AP sugarcane isolate, but at the CP amino acid level it had 97.8% identity. This partial sequence data confirmed the association of SStMV with the mosaic disease of sorghum in Andhra Pradesh state, India. To our knowledge, this is the first report on association of SStMV with mosaic disease of sorghum and designated as SStMV-sorghum isolate.

Detection of Sugarcane Yellow Leaf Luteovirus of India

A luteovirus was found associated with midrib yellowing symptoms of sugarcane in India. The virus was earlier identified as sugarcane yellow leaf virus (SCYLV) on the basis of particle morphology and serological relationships. In this study, we attempted molecular characterization of an Indian isolate of SCYLV through reverse trascriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Comparison showed that the deduced amino acid sequence share 98% homology with an isolate from Texas (cultivar CC85-964) and 100% homology with corresponding sequences of an Australian isolate of SCYLV (found in cultivar CP 65-357). Phylogenetic analysis also suggests that the coat protein of the SCYLV genome possesses different taxonomic affinities with other members of the family Luteoviridae.