This fungus disease is found almost all sugarcane growing area of India and disease appears during periods of hot humid conditions. It is a wind-borne fungus and primarily transmitted through the air-currents and secondary transmission is through the infected setts, irrigation water, splashed rains and soil. The name, pokkah boeng, is derived from a Javanese word meaning a malformed or distorted top.
Symptoms
• The peculiar symptom of this disease is chlorotic patches at the base of young leaves, the diseased leaves become partially white with reddish streaks reduce in size.
• The wrinkling, twisting and shortening of young leaves are observed at later stages.
• In acute infection, distortion of the stalk with internal and external knife cut like lesion and rotting of apical portions are commonly observed.
• The young affected leaves have several holes and occasionally the new emerging leaves destroyed completely and only pointed spindle core seen on the corns.