Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: December 4, 2009
Publication Date: N/A
Technical Abstract: Sugarcane orange rust is an economically important disease and was first detected in the western hemisphere in Florida in June 2007. It has caused yield losses in the major cultivar, CP 80-1743 since it was introduced in 2007. Besides causing yield losses it has also caused susceptible cultivars to be discarded from the CP-cultivar development program. Although symptoms are similar in appearance to sugarcane brown rust it can be distinguished by the lighter orange color of the pustules and apical thickening of the uredineal spores. Besides developing resistance using conventional approaches several molecular approaches are being investigated to detect resistance genes. Fungicides can control the disease but it best to have adequate resistance.