Wilt disease: a major deterrent in breeding sugarcane genotypes for high sugar accumulation potential in subtropical India

A conscious breeding effort in sugarcane has been in progress since 1993-94 crop season to identify and involve parents with high sugar content in juice to select progeny with early high sugar accumulation potential under subtropical agro-climate. Over the last 8 years, a high mortality (up to 67%) of seedlings was encountered during the raising of progenies of such parents. Largely, this mortality was due to the attack of wilt pathogens (Fusarium sp and Acremonium sp). Average wilt incidence in C-0 was to the tune of 26% across the progenies, while in some crosses like 'Co 89003' x 'ISH 41', a mortality of 67% was recorded. In high sugar selections (C-1 populations), the average wilt incidence was 43% (more than 50% selections registered more than 40% wilt incidence) and selections from 11% of the crosses were annihilated completely (100% mortality). Thus wilt is threatening the utilization of high sugar selections in breeding.