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Pacific Pests & Pathogens - Mini Fact Sheet Edition

Sugarcane Ramu stunt disease (279)

Photo 1. Stunted plant (foreground) showing symptoms typical of Ramu stunt disease.

Photo 2. Leaves showing yellow streaks (2-5 mm wide) along the blade, typical of Ramu stunt disease on susceptible varieties of sugarcane.

Photo 3. Above view of Eumetopina flavipes, the planthopper that spreads Ramu stunt disease.

Photo 4. Side view of Eumetopina flavipes, the planthopper that spreads Ramu stunt disease.

Summary

Narrow distribution. Papua New Guinea. On sugarcane, wild relatives and grasses. A major disease.
Cane thin, stunted, with short erect leaves, and green to yellow streaks of varying length. Some or all shoots may die, depending on susceptibility.
Spread by a planthopper.
Cultural control: in smallholder plots remove plants and burn; resistant varieties (main method).
Chemical control: none recommended as uneconomic; synthetic pyrethroids used in times of epidemics (1986).

Common Name

Ramu stunt disease

Scientific Name

Sugarcane Ramu stunt disease. Initially, the cause of the disease was thought to be a virus; later, phytoplasmas were detected (related to sugarcane white leaf phytoplasmas) in diseased plants and also in planthoppers (Eumetopina flavipes), which may spread the disease. More recently, a virus has again been suggested. Advanced RNA sequencing techniques may have found a virus belonging to the Tenuivirus group.

AUTHOR Grahame Jackson
Information from Ramu stunt (2013) Sugar Research Australia. Information sheet IS1 3090. (http://www.sugarresearch.com.au/icms_docs/164677_Ramu_stunt_IS13090.pdf); and from CABI (2015) Sugarcane Ramu stunt disease (Ramu stunt disease). Crop Protection Compendium (www.cabi.org/cpc). Photos 1&2 Braithwaite KS (2010) Ramu stunt. PaDIL - (http://www.padil.gov.au). Photos 3&4 Bellis G, Fletcher M (2011) Island Sugarcane Planthopper (Eumetopina flavipes). PaDIL - (http://www.padil.gov.au).

Produced with support from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research under project PC/2010/090: Strengthening integrated crop management research in the Pacific Islands in support of sustainable intensification of high-value crop production, implemented by the University of Queensland and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.

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