ABSTRACT
Sugarcane have several species of tall perennial true grasses of the genus Saccharum, tribe Andropogoneae that is native to the warm temperate tropical regions of South Asia and Melanesia and that are used for sugar production. All sugarcane species interbreed, and the major commercial cultivars are complex hybrids. The red rot of sugarcane was reported first time from Java as red-smut and it became a serious cause of decline of several popular varieties of sugarcane in other countries. Red rot of sugarcane is caused by the fungus C. falcatum and its final stage is Glomerella tucumanesis. Wilt is an important fungal disease of sugarcane. The term "wilt" is a misnomer in sugarcane as affected plants dry up gradually without displaying any conventional wilt syndrome as evidenced in other crops. The wilt disease of sugarcane is caused by C. sacchari. Sugarcane smut infects all sugarcane species unless the species is resistant.
