Philippe Rott1,2 and Jean Heinrich Daugrois1,2
1CIRAD, UMR PHIM, 34398 Montpellier, France; philippe.rott@cirad.fr
2PHIM, Plant Health Institute, Univ. Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France The book A guide to sugarcane diseases was published in 2000 by ISSCT and Cirad, with the objective of gathering practical and updated information in sugarcane pathology. During the last two decades, new diseases have developed and were described in several countries. Additionally, distribution of known diseases have expanded, and significant progress was made in disease diagnosis and detection. Consequently, a new edition of this guide to sugarcane diseases has been started. As in the previous edition, this book will include diseases caused by various pathogens, including a newly reported protozoan. Description of these diseases will include the cause, geographical distribution, symptoms, diagnosis, strains of the pathogen, transmission, host range, epidemiology, economic importance, control, and essential references. Procedures for the safe movement of sugarcane germplasm will also be included. Common names of sugarcane diseases and their causal agent(s) will be updated, as well as a listing of the sugarcane producing countries and their diseases. Numerous experts will contribute to the new edition that is expected to become a useful new resource for sugarcane and plant pathologists, the sugarcane community at large, and all people interested in this subject.