Pacific Pests, Pathogens & Weeds - Fact Sheets

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Sugarcane veneer blotch (219)

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Photo 1. Oval spots of veneer blotch on the midrib and leaf blade of sugarcane, caused by Deightoniella papuana. Note how the older spots enclose the younger ones.

Common Name

Sugarcane veneer blotch

Scientific Name

Deightoniella papuana

Distribution

Narrow. Only known from Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, and Solomon Islands.

Hosts

Sugarcane

Symptoms & Life Cycle

The leaf spots are at first small, oval, light green to pale yellow, with thin red margins. Later, they become surrounded by a number (2-12) of progressively larger spots, each with a light green interior (turning light brown), and outlined by a 0.5-1 mm dark red border (Photo 1). The spots can reach 60 cm long by 1-1.5 cm wide. The spot has a veneer pattern, particularly on the upper surface, hence the name.

The underside of the leaf becomes black as the fungus forms spores.

Spread of the fungus is by airborne spores.

Impact

It is unlikely that this disease causes damage of economic value.

Detection & inspection

Look for the distinct oval spots that become successively surrounded by larger spots as they develop along the leaf blade or midrib.

Management

This is a disease that is not well researched, but it seems likely that management is unnecessary as the damage caused is slight. It is more a curiosity, because of its unique symptoms, than one of economic interest.

This fact sheet is a part of the app Pacific Pests, Pathogens & Weeds

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