No. 7 June
| Yellow leaf syndrome is a sugarcane disease registered in Colombia in May 1998. It is caused by a virus that is transmitted by using infected vegetative seed and by the action of the aphid. Melanaphis sacchari, present in the sugarcane areas of the country. Although its true effect on production is unknown, the disease has been found associated with unexplained decreases in the concentration of saccharose and in cane production, even in crops without visible external symptoms. Since its registration in 1998, the disease has been found in commercial plots planted with different varieties. The disease was first recorded in 1994 in Hawaii; however, there have been records of similar symptoms in crops in East Africa since 1968 (Ricaud, 1968). In the last five years, it has spread to sugarcane areas in Brazil, South Africa, Mauritius, Zimbabwe, Australia and the United States, especially in Louisiana and Florida. In Brazil, plants of the variety SP 71-6163 infected with the virus suffered production losses ranging from 60% to 80%. |
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