ABSTRACT
Introduction Sugarcane (Saccharum, interspecific hybrid) is a relatively new crop in Mazandaran, Iran, with small commercial fields scattered throughout the central areas of the province. Sugarcane is increasingly becoming popular among farmers and its acerage is steadily increasing along the Caspian coast. New cultivars are being gradually introduced into the area from the major sugarcane-growing region of Khuzestan, south-western Iran. Since its introduction to Mazandaran, the crop has remained relatively diseasefree. In the south-western areas of the country where the crop has been in cultivation for several decades, several diseases such as mosaic, smut (Ustilago scitaminae Syd.) and red stripe (Pseudomonas rubrilineans (Lee et al.) Stapp.) have so far been reported to have a detrimental influence on the crop (Gowing and Baniabbassi, 1975; Amiri and Izadpanah, 1993).
