Molecular Characterization and Pathogenicity of Colletotrichum falcatum Causing Red Rot on Sugarcane in Southern Florida.

ABSTRACT: Red rot disease reduces sugarcane yield and impacts the sugar quality, posing an important threat to the sugarcane industry in Florida. Although Colletotrichum falcatum, the causal agent of red rot in Florida, was first reported in 1984 based on morphology, molecular and pathological data have remained limited, highlighting the critical need for comprehensive characterization. Thirteen isolates were obtained from three local sugarcane varieties in Belle Glade, Florida. Phylogenetic analyses of five genetic markers (ITS, ACT, TUB2, GAPDH, and CHS-1) confirmed all the strains as C. falcatum. In addition, the study documented the disease progression at the cellular level and assessed the pathogenicity of representative strains using the leaf sheath an

SUBMITTER: Silva FR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11595498 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature