Red Rot of Sugarcane: A Comprehensive Review of Pathogen Biology, Epidemiology and Current Management Paradigms

Abstract

India is the largest consumer and second largest producer of sugar in the world and sugar is an important commercial commodity in the world. Colletotrichum falcatumis one the most known pathogen of sugarcane crop causing red rot disease. Red rot disease is considered as the main constraint for sugarcane production and due to its devastating nature also known as cancer of sugarcane. The pathogen variability plays crucial role in the breakdown of red rot resistance as it is highly variable in nature, the resistant sugarcane varieties gets prone to red rot within a short time period. Farmers should pay adequate attention in adoption of improved production technologies toovercome the problem of sugarcane production. Red rot continues to be the major production constraint that always threatens crop productivity as well as economic stability in the sugar sector. Continuous research, awareness among farmers, and coordinated disease management efforts will be required to reduce the menace caused by this "cancer of sugarcane" and ensure resilient and profitable sugarcane cultivation for the future.