VIEW ARTICLE

Field Screening of Sugarcane for Eye Spot Resistance. Jack L. Dean, Research Plant Pathologist, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Canal Point, Florida 33438; Jimmy D. Miller, Research Geneticist, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Canal Point, Florida 33438. Phytopathology 65:955-958. Accepted for publication 14 April 1975. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-65-955.

Rapid field screening of sugarcane for eye spot resistance was accomplished by inoculation with power spray equipment. Inoculum consisted of homogenized, mycelial cultures of Bipolaris sacchari in 5% blackstrap molasses. Molasses added to a similar inoculum gave a five-fold increase in infection in a pot experiment. The eye spot resistance of the screened population was significantly higher than that of the original unscreened population. Injury to plants in the field caused by the host-specific toxin of B. sacchari in the inoculum was significantly correlated with resistance to eye spot.