Effect of Post-Harvest Residue on Ratoon Crops of Sugarcane Infected with Sugarcane Yellow Leaf Virus

Authors: Grisham, Michael; Viator, Ryan

Submitted to: Phytopathology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/4/2009
Publication Date: 6/1/2009
Citation: Grisham, M.P., Viator, R.P. 2009. Effect of Post-Harvest Residue on Ratoon Crops of Sugarcane Infected with Sugarcane Yellow Leaf Virus. Phytopathology. 99:S46.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Sugarcane yellow leaf virus (SCYLV) is a luteovirus that causes yellow leaf of sugarcane. Previous studies in Louisiana focusing on the effect of post-harvest residue found that retention of the residue often reduces yield of subsequent ratoon crops. A field experiment to determine the potential interaction of SCYLV and residue retention was arranged in a split-plot design. Main (treatment) plots had either plants infected with or free of SCYLV, and the subplots were residue removal or retention. The residue treatments were applied following the harvest of the plant-cane crop (the first annual harvest) and the first-ratoon crop (second annual harvest) in plots of sugarcane cultivar LCP 85-384. Cane yield (Mg/ha) of SCYLV-infected plants was 10.7% less than the yield of the SCYLV-free plants. Among infected plants where the residue was retained, the yields were 18.1% less than the yield of the control plants; while among plants where the residue was removed, the yields of SCYLV-infected plants were 5.8% less than that of the control plants. Yields of cultivar LCP 85-384 in this study did not differ between SCYLV-free plants where residue was removed and those where the residue was retained. The results, however, indicates that yield losses associated with SCYLV is compounded when post-harvest residue is retained, thus removal of residue is essential for optimal yields when cane is infected by SCYLV.