Journal of Applied Microbiology (2022) 133, 1676-1687

Caroline Andreato, Rodrigo Gazaffi, Maysa Mariano Aguiar Oliveira, Luis Eduardo Aranha Camargo and Alfredo Seiiti Urashima (2022)
Effect of thermotherapy, Leifsonia xyli subsp. xyli titres, sugarcane genotype and diagnostic techniques on ratoon stunt control in Brazil
Journal of Applied Microbiology 133 (3), 1676-1687
Abstract:
Aims
To examine the interaction of diagnostic techniques, initial titres of Leifsonia xyli subsp. xyli (Lxx), sugarcane genotype and thermotherapy on ratoon stunt (RSD) control.
Methods and Results
Single buds of RB867515, RB92579 and RB966928 were submitted to 50°C/2 h or 52°C/30 min under factorial block design and five replications; results were checked 9 months later by serological (DBI) and molecular (PCR) techniques. A 10,000 bootstrapping simulations were performed to infer the best plot size based on the experimental coefficient of variation. Analysis of variance showed significance only on initial Lxx titres and RSD control. Despite the absence of significance in the overall analysis, minor differences in control success with different methods and cultivars are predicted to have a major epidemiological impact on RSD, considering successive harvests and vegetative increase. According to an epidemiological interpretation, the 50°C/2 h treatment was more effective, cultivar RB966928 was the most susceptible and the PCR-based method was the most sensitive for pathogen detection. The minimum required plants per plot was 15, indicating high precision of our experiment
Conclusions
Data interpretation considered both the statistical analysis and the epidemiology aspect of RSD in order to improve RSD management. The Brazilian sugarcane industry will benefit from this approach since it is not using it.
Significance and Impact of the Study
This is the first study that examined multiple factors that affect RSD control. Our work pinpointed the importance of the thermotherapy, its best combination as well as the diagnostic test. Also, the effect of the cultivar to respond to management strategies. Because the epidemiological aspect of RSD was taken into consideration, results of our work can have an impact on RSD control in the field.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Luis E.A. Camargo, Alfredo S. Urashima

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
control - general

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Leifsonia xyli	Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum)	Brazil (south)