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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Canal Point, Florida » Sugarcane Field Station » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #203894

Title: Comparison of CL and CP germplasm reactions to sugarcane yellow leaf virus, Liefsonia xyli and Puccinia melancephala

Author
item Comstock, Jack
item Milligan, Scott

Submitted to: American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/8/2007
Publication Date: 9/18/2007
Citation: Comstock, J.C., Milligan, S.B., 2007. Comparison of CL and CP germplasm reactions to sugarcane yellow leaf virus, Liefsonia xyli and Puccinia melancephala. American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists. 27:79-88 2007

Interpretive Summary: Sugarcane germplasm (CL) from the terminated US Sugar Corporation was donated and transferred to the CP-Cultivar Development Program USDA-ARS Sugarcane Field Station. In order to determine its usefulness of the CL germplasm the reactions of the clones were determined for sugarcane yellow leaf virus, brown rust and ratoon stunt and compared to the reactions of comparable germplasm presently in the CP program at the Sugarcane Field Station. The CL germplasm on a whole is more resistant to sugarcane yellow leaf virus than CP germplasm and offers a source of resistance to yellow leaf an economically important disease. However, the CL germplasm is more susceptible to the ratoon stunt pathogen, Liefsonia xyli subsp. xyli, than the CP germplasm and may cause the increased susceptibility in the program. The reaction of the clones of both the CL and CP germplasm were similar and will not impact the CP program. As far as the CL germplasm impacting resistance in the CP-cultivar development program it depends on the particular disease.

Technical Abstract: In 2004 germplasm from the terminated US Sugar Corporation cultivar development program based in Clewiston, FL (CL) was donated to the USDA-ARS Sugarcane Field Station based in Canal Point, FL (CP). The disease reactions of portions of these populations were evaluated to determine what the impact of CL germplasm may be on the future development of disease resistant cultivars at the Sugarcane Field Station. The disease reactions of germplasm when considered as a group from the CL and CP programs differed in their overall reactions to both yellow leaf and ratoon stunt but did not differ in their reaction to brown rust. Comparing the CL and CP 1970-1989 Series clones, the CL germplasm as a group had more clones free of the sugarcane yellow leaf virus than the CP germplasm. In regard to ratoon stunt, the historic (prior to 1970) clones of both populations were either similar or the historic clones from the CP germplasm were more susceptible to the ratoon stunt pathogen, Liefsonia xyli subsp. xyli, than the CL clones. However, the CP clones currently in Stage II as a population were more resistant to L. xyli subsp. xyli than the donated CL clones. The disease reaction information both as germplasm from each program and that of individual clones will aid in selecting resistant parental clones and making choices of crosses in the breeding program.