Screening sugarcane germplasm resistant to Sorghum mosaic virus

In 2010 and 2011, 70 wild sugarcane germplasms including 37 Saccharum spontaneum and 33 Erianthus arundinaceus from the National Nursery of Sugarcane Germplasm Resources (NNSGR, Kaiyuan, China) were screened for their resistance to sugarcane mosaic disease caused by Sorghum mosaic virus (SrMV-HH, GenBank accession number DQ530434) by dropping inoculum on stem-section and SrMV RT-PCR detection. The results showed that of the 70 tested germplasms, 39 (55.7%) were highly (Grade 1) to moderately resistant (Grade 3) to SrMV. E. arundinaceus had more resistant lines than S. spontaneum. Of the 33 tested E. arundinaceus germplasms, 22 (66.7%) were highly (Grade 1) to moderately resistant (Grade 3), while 17 (45.9%) of the 37 tested S. spontaneum germplasms were highly (Grade 1) to moderately resistant (Grade 3) to SrMV. The results suggested that S. spontaneum and E. arundinaceus from the NNSGR contain valuable germplasms resistant to SrMV, and the screened germplasms in the present study could provide promising resistance sources for sugarcane breeding.

► Resistance to SrMV was detected in 70 wild sugarcane germplasms.
► Immunity or moderate resistance to SrMV was detected in 39 sugarcane germplasms.
► Virus inoculation is compatible with natural transmission of SrMV.
► Yunnan Province in China contains rich wild sugarcane germplasms resistant to SrMV.
► Isolation of resistance genes can be used to breed SrMV-resistant sugarcane.