JA Lobo, LG Huvierne, V González and RP Bertani
Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres (EEAOC), Las Talitas, Tucumán, R. Argentina, T4101XAS; jalobo@eeaoc.org.ar
Under a changing climate, sugarcane smut (Sporisorium scitamineum) has emerged as a significant threat in Tucumán, Argentina, since 2020. The distribution and intensity of smut across Tucumán sugarcane fields was determined and alternative control strategies for the disease analyzed. Incidence was estimated in sampling areas, corresponding to four points of 5-linear meters per hectare. Chemical and bio-products were tested in seed cane in two trials where smut incidence and yield parameters were estimated. Monitoring from 2020 to 2024 showed that smut prevalence ranged from 47.8 to 51.6%. The main cultivated variety, LCP85-384, had the highest incidence values (above 42%) in all seasons. TUC95-10 and TUC03-12, the second and third most cultivated varieties, showed maximum incidence values of 5.7% (2022-2023 season) and 17.6% (2021-2022 season), respectively. Application of strobilurins to seed cane reduced symptom development compared to the untreated cane, whereas mixture of strobilurins + benzimidazole showed higher sugarcane stalk yields than control. Changes in environmental conditions or pathogen virulence could changes variety behavior to diseases. For these reasons, it is important to continue studying different active ingredients for the control of this disease.