REVIEW OF THE MANAGEMENT OF SUGARCANE RED ROT CAUSED BY COLLETOTRICHUM FALCATUM Went IN INDIA

RED ROT CAUSED by Colletotricum falcatum is the most important disease of sugarcane in India. Adoption of healthy setts which are devoid of reddened cut ends, shrunken nodes, borer holes and damaged buds is mandatory to promote enhanced germination on one hand and lessen the probability of red rot spread in main field. When red rot occurs in a field, total removal of infected clumps followed by their complete burning is warranted to contain its proliferation. The treatment of the affected soil around the clumps with carbendazim (0.1%) or organo mercurial compound (0.25%) is recommended. Systemic fungicides being ineffective, containment of the disease is achievable through managerial skills such as restricted or delayed irrigations, avoidance of mulch, promotion of drainage channels to offset stagnation, elimination of ratooning, adoption of locally accepted crop rotation and also early harvesting. In addition to these control measures the discriminative choice and adoption of red rot resistant/moderately resistant sugarcane cultivars is paramount.