Impact of Smut (Sporisorium scitamineum) on Sugarcane’s Above-Ground Growth and the Determinants of the Disease Intensity in the Ethiopian Sugarcane Plantations

Abstract

The development of sustainable smut management techniques requires an understanding of the impacts of smut on sugarcane growth and the relationships between smut intensity and meteorological variables, varieties, and crop types. Thus, assessments were made with the objectives to 1) determine the effect of smut on the above-ground growth of sugarcane, and 2) quantify the association of smut with weather variables, varieties and crop types. The effect of smut on above-ground growth was assessed in six fields planted with NCo 334 (wider coverage) having 6 months of age in Fincha and Metehara fields in 2021. Data on above-ground growth were taken from 20 randomly selected smut-affected and healthy stools from each field. Besides, 6 years’ data (2015 to 2021) on the numbers of smut-affected stools and smut whips of 79 fields were collected. Furthermore, 10 years’ (2011 to 2021) weather data were acquired from the sugar plantations. The results demonstrated reduction in the above-ground growth of sugarcane in the range of 18.39% and 73.42% due to smut. In addition, weather variables explained about 68.48% and 66.58% of the variability in the number of smut-affected stools and whips respectively. Smut intensity increased with crop types for susceptible varieties. The tight association between the smut epidemic and crop types, varieties, and weather, implied that these parameters must be carefully considered in management decisions. Continuous monitoring of smut disease, meteorological variables, varieties, and crop types in all the sugarcane plantations could be done as a part of integrated smut management in the future.