Symptom expression of yellow leaf disease in sugarcane cultivars with different degrees of infection by Sugarcane yellow leaf virus

Sugarcane yellow leaf virus (ScYLV) is present in many sugarcane growing areas of the world. It is suspected to cause yellow leaf disease (formerly called YLS, yellow leaf syndrome) of sugarcane. This study investigated symptom expression in a selection of cultivars classified into three groups; ScYLV-susceptible/infected, ScYLV-resistant and intermediately infected cultivars grown in plantation fields in the islands of Hawaii. Incidence of yellow leaf symptoms was correlated, though not tightly, to the presence of ScYLV. The correlation is based on two factors: (i) only ScYLV-infected cultivars (from both susceptible and intermediate groups) showed severe symptom expression, and (ii) ScYLV-infected plants had four times higher symptom incidence than virus-free plants of the same cultivar. The yellow leaf symptom expression fluctuated, peaking at 200, 350, 500 and 600 days after planting. These symptom peaks were correlated with an increase of ScYLV content in the intermediately infected group of cultivars. No nutritional, environmental or field factor could be identified which clearly influenced symptom expression. It is speculated that the symptom expression is elicited by assimilate backup in the stalks and that the fluctuation of symptom expression is caused by the growth rhythm of mature sugarcane stalks.