Evidence for an Asian origin of Sorghum Mosaic Virus Infecting Sugarcane in Louisiana and the Western Hemisphere.

Three viruses causing mosaic-like symptoms in sugarcane and related grasses, namely sorghum mosaic virus (SrMV), sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV), and sugarcane streak mosaic virus (SCSMV), have been reported in Louisiana since 1919. In this study, complete genome-coding sequences (9168-9240 nt) were obtained for mosaic viruses from 36 symptomatic leaf samples of cultivated and wild sugarcane and one sample of silver grass. These samples represented historical diseased plants that were collected in Louisiana from the 1940s to the early 2020s.

Relationship of Soil Properties and Sugarcane Yields to Red Stripe in Louisiana.

Symptoms of red stripe disease caused by Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae in Louisiana between 1985 and 2010 were limited to the leaf stripe form, which caused no apparent yield loss. During 2010, the more severe top rot form was observed, and a study was initiated to investigate the distribution of red stripe in the field and determine its effects on cane and sugar yields.