Ledisliana Vazquez Lopez1, Mullapudi Narendranath2, Pablo Domingo Pablos Reyes1 and Yaquelin Puchades Izaguirre1
1INICA Santiago de Cuba, Carretera central, km 2½ Los Coquitos, Palma Soriano, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba; ledisliana.vazquez@gmail.com
The Andhra Sugars Limited, Tanuku-534 215, Andhra Pradesh, India.
In Cuba, sugarcane is usually planted manual, with cuttings 25-30 cm long that have 2-3 buds, requiring a considerable seed outlay, between 8-10 t/ha. This study aimed to determine the effect of different hydrothermal treatments on the sprouting of isolated buds and the control of Xanthomonas albilineans in sugarcane. A field trial was established in the Sugarcane Research Institute of Santiago de Cuba in Palma Soriano locality, Santiago de Cuba Province. Six treatments were evaluated, four with hydro-thermotherapy (53°C for 20 min, 51°C for 60 min, 30 min, 20 min) and two with direct planting (one with soaking and chemical treatment; and the control without hydrothermic treatment or soaking). Variables evaluated were: number of shoots per treatment and sprouting percentage (%) at 7, 14, 21, 30, 45 and 60 days after planting, percentage of functional xylem (%), and serological diagnosis for Xanthomonas albilineans. The hydrothermal treatments did not significantly affect sugarcane bud sprouting. However, the treatment at 53°C for 20 minutes was the most effective for controlling the pathogen responsible for leaf scald.