Annabel Miller (she/her/hers)
Graduate Research Assistant
Louisiana State University Agricultural Center
Baton Rouge, LA, USA
Annabel Miller (she/her/hers)
Graduate Research Assistant
Louisiana State University Agricultural Center
Baton Rouge, LA, USA
Madison Flasco, PhD
Assistant Professor
Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States
Mary-Beth Rollins, n/a
Reserch Associate
Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center
baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States
Andre Gama, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center
baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States
Sugarcane yellow leaf virus (SCYLV) is found globally in all sugarcane growing regions. Symptomology is dependent on the growing region and cultivar, but yield losses are documented from 15-50%, even in asymptomatic infections. Infected sugarcane exhibits reduced chlorophyll concentrations and increased starch accumulation in vascular tissue; both known to negatively impact sucrose biosynthesis. This study will quantify these physiological impacts as it relates to SCYLV titer. Two cultivars, LCP85-384 and L01-299 were sampled monthly in 2024 and 2025, respectively. A quantitative, SYBR-based RT-qPCR assay was optimized to determine absolute titer while assessing temporal tissue tropisms. When considering cultivar LCP85-384, there was no significant difference in titer regardless of canopy level and month of collection (p=0.217). Chlorophyll quantification showed there was no difference between chlorophyll concentrations in SCYLV infected vs. non-infected tissues in April, but this trend was not consistent. In July, there were differences in total chlorophyll and chlorophyll b contents (p=0.013, 0.006, respectively), but not in chlorophyll a (p=0.0516). For L01-299, microscopy of cross sections paired with computational analysis will quantify starch accumulation in bundle sheath cells, as well as relative quantification of the sucrose phosphate phosphatase gene via RT-qPCR. These data are paramount in understanding the interactions resulting in yield loss from SCYLV, a growing threat to sugarcane production in Louisiana, with far-reaching global implications.