Protocol for selecting orange rust resistant sugarcane cultivars by artificial inoculation in greenhouse

Abstract

Orange rust [Puccinia kuehnii (W. Kruger) E. J. Butler] from sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is a disease of potential importance for Cuban sugarcane farming. However, under natural conditions, the presence of symptoms has not maintained stability in the foci of infection, which makes it difficult to evaluate the phenotypic resistance response of the cultivars to this disease. The present work was carried out with the objective of establishing a protocol to select sugarcane cultivars for their resistance to orange rust in the greenhouse. Includes, reference cultivars, source of inoculum, morphological and molecular characterization of P. kuehnii uredospores, inoculation conditions and inoculation method, variables to evaluate the response of the inoculated plants and their classification according to the degree of resistance to P. kuehnii. Keywords: inoculation, Puccinia kuehnii, resistance, Saccharum spp.