Incidence and Distribution of Four Viruses Causing Diverse Mosaic Diseases of Sugarcane in China

Abstract

Mosaic diseases of sugarcane caused by various viruses have been reported in most sugarcane planting countries and threaten global sugar production. There is a lack of extensive, systematic investigation of mosaic diseases and their causal viruses in China. In this study, a total of 901 leaf samples showing mosaic symptoms were collected from commercial fields in eight provincial regions in China and tested for sorghum mosaic virus (SrMV), sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV), sugarcane streak mosaic virus (SCSMV), and maize yellow mosaic virus (MaYMV) using RT-PCR with four specific primer pairs. Of 901 tested samples, 38.5% (347/901) of samples were infected with one of the four viruses alone. Infection by two or more viruses was seen for 42.6% (384/901) of samples. The highest incidence of virus-causing sugarcane mosaic disease was SrMV (70.1%), followed by SCMV (33.4%) and SCSMV (30.3%), and the lowest incidence was seen for MaYMV (5.1%). Three viruses (SrMV, SCMV, and SCSMV) were found in eight sugarcane-planting provinces, whereas MaYMV was only found in Fujian, Guangxi, and Sichuan provinces. Mixed infections of the three main viruses, particularly for SrMV + SCMV and SrMV + SCSMV, were commonly found in the sugarcane samples. Our systematic determination of the occurrence and distribution of four RNA viruses associated with sugarcane mosaic diseases can provide evidence to guide the development of strategies for the prevention and control of sugarcane mosaic diseases in China.