A contribution to improve the understanding of the disease caused by Sugarcane Yellow Leaf Virus in Argentina.

BERTANI, R.P.; PERERA, M.F.; ARIAS, M.E.; LUQUE, C.; FUNES, C.; GONZÁLEZ, V.; CUENYA, M.I.; PLOPER, D.L.; CASTAGNARO, A.P.

Workshop; ISSCT (International Society of Sugar Cane Technologist) XI Pathology and IX Entomology Workshops; 2015

Yellow leaf disease, caused by Sugarcane yellow leaf virus (SCYLV), is spread worldwide; however, its incidence and distribution in Argentina remain unclear. There have only been a few reports with little available information on monitoring, location and sugarcane genotypes tested in the country. The aims of this study were to assess SCYLV presence, characterize the virus, analyze its distribution in the main sugarcane production area in Argentina, and determine the correlation between virus detection and disease symptoms. For this purpose, 148 sugarcane +1 leaf samples with and without symptoms were collected in 2011 and 2012 in Tucumán province, from commercial varieties, advanced breeding clones at final testing stages of selection, and parents used in the Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres (EEAOC) Sugarcane Breeding Program. One additional sample was collected in Salta, Argentina, as it is considered a different geographical and agroecological producing region. Results showed that SCYLV was detected by RT-PCR in 29 samples, including Salta sample, and was widely distributed among commercial sugarcane varieties, both in symptomatic and asymptomatic leaves. A low but statistically significant positive correlation between virus detection and disease symptoms was found, whereas 83% of the positive samples were asymptomatic. BRA-PER was the only virus genotype detected both by RT-PCR and sequence analysis of the capsid protein gene.