Emerging Bacterial Disease (Leaf Scald) of Sugarcane in China: Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Management

Sugarcane is the major industrial crop grown in tropical and sub-tropical regions in China. More than 100 sugarcane diseases are identified around the globe; half have been reported in China. Many varieties of sugarcane were replaced due to the infection of new pathogenic disease. Recently, leaf scald was found in China, which is one of the major sugarcane diseases also seriously affecting growth of sugarcane. Several isolates were recovered and identified using ELISA and PCR assays from the symptomatic leaf samples in Guangxi, China. The genomes of our isolates from X. albilineans were re-sequenced and revealed that rpf gene encoded regulation of pathogenicity factors mainly involved in the pathogenesis of sugarcane. The disease is mainly transferred through seed cane. In the past, hot water treatment was used to manage the disease. Healthy seed cane from resistant cultivars could effectively manage the leaf scald disease in sugarcane.