Joao Vitor Pelizzaro Morales (he/him/his)
Graduate Research Assistant
Department of 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
Brayden A. Blanchard
Sugar Research Station, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center
Saint Gabriel, Louisiana, United States
Niranjan Baisakh
School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Sciences, 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 (Saccharum spp. hybrids) is Louisiana’s most important agricultural row crop. Red rot (RR, Colletotrichum falcatum) threatens sugarcane production by impacting stand establishment, particularly as billet planting replaces whole-stalk planting. The resistance of commercial cultivars remains unknown. Although pesticide efficacy against sugarcane RR has been studied in controlled environments, its effectiveness under field conditions remains unknown. We aim to test chemical control strategies and screen varieties and parents for RR resistance. A field trial was set using five in-furrow fungicides for RR control for both whole-stalk and billet planted sugarcane, focusing on stand establishment, yield, and sugar recovery. Stand count results showed significantly more plants in whole-stalk planting than in billets in all treatments, and greater plant establishment in billets treated with mefentrifluconazole and pyraclostrobin. In a greenhouse trial, 153 genotypes, including commercial hybrids, parental clones, and unimproved germplasm were evaluated for disease incidence, severity, and plant growth. The varieties L 01-299, Ho 12-615, and HoCP 96-540, which cover 75% of Louisiana’s sugarcane area, were susceptible. Conversely, the identification of L 09-105 as the most resistant variety provides an important source of resistance for Louisiana’s sugarcane breeding program. By addressing these critical gaps in RR management, this study provides clues to enhanced chemical control, development of resistant cultivars, and data-driven breeding strategies to manage C. falcatum.