Twisted top disease a destructive disease of sugarcane in India

Twisted top disease (TTD), also known as pokkah boeng (PB), caused by many Fusarium spp is reported throughout the world. In the recent years, the disease has become a major biotic constraint of sugarcane from the status of minor disease in many countries, necessitating disease management strategies to prevent crop losses. Recently,cause of the wilt and TTD by the same Fusarial pathogen in a sugarcane plant was found and this new phenomenon added a complexity in twisted top disease epidemiology in sugarcane. In many varieties, after TTD damage, the pathogenic infection becomes systemic, leading to wilting of the affected plants and severe crop losses were recorded. During the last three seasons, TTD and wilt severity in sugarcane varieties has increased in India with total crop losses due to infestation of crown mealy bug Phenacoccus saccharifolii during early crop growth phases. The sucking insect pest colonizes the crown region and aggravates TTD severity in sugarcane. Due to that, the leaves in the crown are extremely shortened with severe abnormalities and extensive bud sprouting. All the varieties under cultivation encounter losses due to TTD and mealy bug complex, management through fungicides and insecticides and agronomical measures are suggested to reduce the crop losses. The present study reports the severe damages of sugarcane twisted top disease in India.