State Of The Orange Rust Of Sugarcane In Cuba

Sugarcane orange rust (Puccinia kuehnii (W. Kruger) E.J. Butler) is considered an emerging disease in the Western Hemisphere and with high potential for damage. It was detected in Cuba in late 2008, which is why phytosanitary surveillance was established on its dispersion and incidence in the sugarcane plantations of the country. The objective of this work was to update the status of this disease in Cuba from the processing of data from research and surveys conducted in the period 2009-2017. Evaluations were carried out in the risk areas through systematic sampling in germplasm banks, varieties gardens, experimental areas and seed banks, including those established from "in vitro" plants. In addition, surveys were carried out in areas of commercial plantations, validation areas of new cultivars and areas of certified seed production, where 10 stems were randomly evaluated in three sampling stations following the diagonal of the field. P kuehnii is found in the 13 provinces producing sugarcane in Cuba. Most infected genotypes were found in areas of experimental stations, mainly in the provinces of Mayabeque, Villa Clara and Camaguey. The distribution of this pathogen in the national territory is classified as low prevalence; however. the number of infected commercial cultivars rises to 30.