Prediction Modeling and Management of Sugarcane Rust

Breeding for sugarcane rust resistance is challenging as sugarcane has a complex genome and sugarcane breeding is a long process. This limits the frequent release of resistant cultivars for commercial production. Management of sugarcane rusts in Florida primarily relies on the use of fungicides and application schedules are typically based on information from disease scouting. Better knowledge of rust epidemiology is required to assist in optimizing the timing of fungicide application.

Therefore, the objective of this study was to characterize the progress of both brown rust and orange rust of sugarcane in the field across multiple years and develop the predictive models based on weather variables to help growers in timing the fungicide application. I also evaluated biological activity and physical modes of action of several fungicides in vitro and in situ for their efficacy to control sugarcane brown and orange rust diseases.

Publications:

• Chaulagain, B., Small, I., Shine, J., Clyde, F., Raid, R. N., and Rott, P. 2020. Weather based predictive modeling of sugarcane orange rust in Florida. Phytopathology, 110:626-632. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-06-19-0211-R

• Sanjel, S., Chaulagain, B., Small, I. M., Comstock, J. C., Hincapie, M., Raid, R. N., and Rott, P. 2019. Comparison of progress of brown rust and orange rust and conditions conducive for severe epidemic development during the sugarcane crop season in Florida. Plant Disease, 103:825-831. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-05-18-0862-RE

• Chaulagain, B., Dufault, N., Raid, R. N., and Rott, P. 2019. Sensitivity of sugarcane rust fungi to fungicides in uredospore germination and detached leaf bioassays. Crop Protection, 117:86-93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2018.11.014

• Chaulagain, B., Raid, R. N., Dufault, N., Santen, E. V., and Rott, P. 2019. Application timing of fungicides for the management of sugarcane orange rust. Crop Protection, 119:141-146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2019.01.007

• Chaulagain, B., Raid, R. N., and Rott, P. 2019. Timing and frequency of fungicide applications for the management of sugarcane brown rust. Crop Protection, 124:104826. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2019.05.020