Factors Affecting the Transmission and Spread of Sugarcane yellow leaf virus

Abstract

Sugarcane, Saccharum spp. hybrid, is widely infected in the United States and many other countries with a yellowing and stunting disease called sugarcane yellow leaf syndrome. The causal agent, Sugarcane yellow leaf virus (ScYLV), is a Polerovirus of the Luteoviridae family. In this study, it was transmitted by the sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari, and also by the corn leaf aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis, and the rice root aphid, R. rufiabdominalis. Two other aphids that infest sugarcane in Hawaii did not transmit the virus. Some Hawaiian sugarcane cultivars are susceptible to ScYLV, while others remain virus-free in the field. The latter were not infected when inoculated with viruliferous M. sacchari. Virus-free plants of susceptible cultivars were produced through apical meristem culture and were readily reinfected by viruliferous M. sacchari. They were also quickly reinfected when planted in a field in proximity to other infected sugarcane naturally infested with M. sacchari. Sugarcane cultivars are hybrids of several Saccharum species. In a field-grown collection of Saccharum and related species, 11 to 71% of the clones of four of the species were infected with ScYLV. None of the related genus Erianthus plants were infected, but four clones were infected experimentally by aphid inoculation. A low to moderate percentage of corn, rice, and sorghum seedlings became infected when inoculated with ScYLV, but barley, oats, and wheat proved to be very susceptible. None of seven weeds common in sugarcane fields were infected with ScYLV.

Analyses of Genotypic Diversity among North, South, and Central American Isolates ofSugarcane Yellow Leaf Virus: Evidence for Colombian Origins and for Intraspecific Spatial Phylogenetic Variation

“…Accessions T3, T4, and T5 (not listed) functioned as negative controls and represent plants independently generated via meristem culture from the T6 accession via previously described methods (46). Numerous anecdotal reports suggest that SCYLV is probably distributed worldwide.…”

Quantification of sugarcane yellow leaf virus in sugarcane following transmission through aphid vector, Melanaphis sacchari

“…Rassaby et al [14] reported virus-free susceptible cultivar planted near SCYLVinfected sugarcane resulted in 45 % of infection after 4 months. Schenck and Lehrer [17] reported that R. maidis can transmit SCYLV from sugarcane to cereal grasses. Apart from sugarcane, the other crops such as barley, oats and wheat are susceptible to SCYLV.…”

“…Long range SCYLV transmission in sugarcane is achieved through infected seed canes and secondarily by aphids in a persistent manner [14]. Earlier, Schenck and Lehrer [17] reported three aphid species namely Melanaphis sacchari (sugarcane aphid), Rhopalosiphum maidis (corn leaf aphid) and R. rufiabdominalis (rice root aphid) as vectors of SCYLV in Hawaii. However, later studies revealed that, among them, M. sacchari was the only important vector in Hawaii.…”

Sugarcane in vitro culture technology: Opportunities for Kenyas sugar industry

“…However, the seed multiplication rate is too low (1:6 to1:8) which makes the spread of newly released varieties slow, taking over 10 years to scale up a newly released variety to the commercial level (Sengar, 2010;Cheema and Hussain, 2004), and also it facilitates the spread of pathogens and may result in epidemics (Schenck and Lehrer, 2000). Moreover, the method requires large nursery space: one hectare nursery for 10 to 15 hectares field planting (Sundara, 2000).…”