Diagnosis and sanitary status of sugarcane propagation material in different stages of the Vitroplantas Project during 2014/2018.

BERTANI RP; HENRIQUEZ DD; GONZÁLEZ V; JOYA CM; CHAVES S; NOGUERA AS; DIGONZELLI PA; FUNES C; PERERA MF; CASTAGNARO AP; BERTANI RP; HENRIQUEZ DD; GONZÁLEZ V; JOYA CM; CHAVES S; NOGUERA AS; DIGONZELLI PA; FUNES C; PERERA MF; CASTAGNARO AP

Congreso; XXX ISSCT Congress; 2019

The Vitroplants Project of Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres (EEAOC) has produced high-quality seed cane through in vitro meristem-culture techniques and micropropagation since 2001. In order to select healthy seed cane, it is necessary to verify the absence of pathogens both in the laboratory (meristem donor plants and micropropagated plantlets) and in seed-cane field propagation (Basic, Registered and Certified nurseries). In this study, results of molecular techniques (PCR and RT-PCR) in the laboratory stage to detect five sugarcane diseases of major importance in Tucumán, Argentina, ratoon stunting disease (RSD), leaf scald (LS), red stripe (RS), yellow leaf disease (YLD) and mosaic virus (MV), are presented. In addition, evaluations of a Tissue-Blot Immunoassay (TBIA) technique for diagnosing systemic bacterial diseases (RSD and LS) in the field propagation stage are given. During the five-year period analyzed, the disease that was the most common in micropropagated plantlets was YLD (17.57%); while in the meristem donor-plant collection the highest incidences were for RS (41.67%) and YLD (16.67%). RSD incidence level (number of infected stalks/total number of stalks) evaluated in the Registered nurseries during 2014/2018 resulted in a minimum value of 0.20% (2014) and a maximum of 0.43% (2016). In addition, LS incidence levels were between 0.09% (2016) and 0.33% (2017). In Certified nurseries, RSD incidence levels reached a maximum value (0.29%) in 2016 and a minimum (0.15%) in 2017. These results demonstrate the efficiency of the scheme of production and multiplication of high-quality seed cane implemented in the Vitroplants Project and drives a significant improvement in sugarcane crop sanitary conditions and yield. It is important to have access to sensitive diagnostic methods that allow detection of very low levels of pathogens.