Status of Red Rot Disease: A Cancer of Sugarcane in Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

Sugarcane is the most commercial crop of India as well as Uttar Pradesh. India being the largest consumer as well as the second largest producer of sugar. Sugarcane is cultivated in most of the states of India with total area coverage of 4.2 million hectare about 55 diseases of sugarcane caused by fungi, bacteria, viruses, phytoplasmas and nematodes have been reported in India which are infectious and non-infectious. The estimated loss in sugarcane crop production due to fungal diseases only is about 18-31%. Red rot is the most common disease of sugarcane, caused by the fungus Colletotrichum falcatum. Red rot-affected canes show a decline of 29 to 83% in cane weight and 24 to 90% in juice extraction. In Uttar Pradesh state alone, nearly 0.5 M ha out of 2.6 M ha area has severe red rot during the 2020-2021 season. Keeping in view the seriousness of this disease, the present review summarizes the distribution, mode and source of infection, description of casual pathogen and disease management.