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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Canal Point, Florida » Sugarcane Field Station » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #116632
Title: COMBINING TISSUE BLOT ENZYME IMMUNOASSAY AND STAINING BY TRANSPIRATION METHODS TO EVALUATE COLONIZATION OF SUGARCANE STALKS BY CLAVIBACTER XYLI SUBSP. XYLI AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE XYLEM FUNCTIONALITY

Author
item GIGLIOTI, E - CENTRO CIENCIAS AG,BRAZIL
item Comstock, Jack
item DAVIS, M - UNIV OF FLORIDA, FT. LAUD
item MATSUOKA, SIZUO - CENTRO CIENCIAS AG,BRAZIL
item TOKESHI, HASIME - ESALQ/USP, BRAZIL

Submitted to: Summa Phytopathologica
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/18/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Ratoon stunting resistant, susceptible, and extremely susceptible varieties of sugarcane were distinguished by two methods, the tissue blot immunoassay (TBIA) and staining by transpiration method (STM). Both these methods determined the effect of the pathogen, Clavibacter xyli subsp. xyli on the vascular system: TBIA stained imprints of colonized-vascular bundles (CVB) of sugarcane stalks on nitrocellulose membranes and STM stained the functional vascular bundles leaving the non-functional bundles unstained. A 10 mm core of stalk tissue was representative of the entire cross section of the stalk. Both methods could use the same stalk sample without interference with each other. Either methods would be effective is screening sugarcane clones for ratoon stunting disease resistance.

Technical Abstract: Resistance to ratoon stunting disease (RSD) of sugarcane, caused by Clavibacter xyli subsp. xyli, was evaluated simultaneously using two methods, the tissue blot immunoassay (TBIA) and staining by transpiration method (STM). These methods determined the effect of the pathogen on the vascular system: TBIA stained imprints of colonized-vascular bundles (CVB) of sugarcane stalks on nitrocellulose membranes and STM stained the functional vascular bundles leaving the non-functional bundles unstained. The same sample of stalk from the third internode from the soil line was used for both assay methods without interference and both methods were repeatable. Cross-sections of 10 mm core from the central portion of sugarcane stalk tissue were representative of the entire cross section of the stalk. There was a high positive correlation between % colonized vascular bundles and % nonfunctional vascular bundles for resistant CP 72-2086, susceptible CB 41-76, and highly susceptible CP 53-1 varieties indicating that either method can screen sugarcane clones for RSD resistance.