Approaches endeavoured to manage red rot under field conditions

Abstract

Red rot resistant varieties are deployed in the field to avoid serious losses caused by the red rot pathogen, Colletotrichum falcatum. However, frequent breakdown of resistance occurs due to the development of newer pathotypes and in certain situations, elite varieties that are moderately susceptible to red rot are being cultivated. Under such situations, adopting novel strategies to manage the disease is of paramount importance. Since protection of crop at different stages of crop growth from red rot incidence is essential to maintain good crop stand and to achieve higher productivity, attempts have been made by following conventional and molecular approaches. Conventionally, effective fungicides, bioagents and their integration were identified and also standardized effective delivery methods for successful management. In addition, attempts have been made at molecular level to identify virulence related genes of C. falcatum to monitor pathogen population under field conditions and to identify newer pathotypes with high virulence for effective screening programme. Besides, established the possibility of identifying potential target sites as genes/ proteins for fungicidal management of red rot in the field. Findings of both conventional and molecular approaches attempted for red rot management under field conditions are summarized in this review.

Keywords

• Sugarcane
• Red rot
• Colletotrichum falcatum
• Management