Surveying Potential Soilborne Pathogens Causing Sett Rot on Sugarcane in Southern Florida

The transition from manual to mechanical planting in Florida has raised concerns about the impact of mechanical harvesting on seed cane integrity, increasing the potential for infection by naturally occurring soilborne pathogens. Surveys conducted during the 2023 and 2024 planting seasons identified Thielaviopsis sp. and Fusarium sp. in 43 and 38% of the 569 sampled seed cane, respectively. Statistical analyses revealed a positive correlation between muck soils and Thielaviopsis; however, Fusarium incidence appeared to be independent of soil type. Among sugarcane varieties, CP07-2320 exhibited negative correlation to Thielaviopsis but was positively correlated to Fusarium. In contrast, CP96-1252 was particularly correlated to Thielaviopsis and negatively correlated to Fusarium. Of particular interest to growers, CPCL05-1201 demonstrated moderate correlation to both pathogens. Spatial analyses using kernel density estimation highlighted pathogen hotspots, aligning with varietal correlation trends to the two pathogens. This study provides insights for local growers, enabling more informed decisions for targeted disease management, particularly in optimizing variety selection and field practices to mitigate disease risks. These contributions support the sustainable transition to mechanical planting in sugarcane production while offering broader implications for managing soilborne diseases in other agricultural systems.