The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1915-06-08
MISCELLANEOUS
RED ROT IN SEED CANE.
Attacks the Cane and Kills the Power
of termination.

When the sugar-cane growers ex-
amined their banks of seed cane ear
ly last march in Grady county, Ca,
they found about one-half of the cane
dead. Similar losses occurred during
the winter of 1894. This presents
serious problem, for in the southern
part of the United States it is a COM
mon practice to store in soil beds dur
ing the winter, l. e., to bank the
sugar cane to be used for planting
the following season. y specialist of
the department found that the badly
damaged canes were invariably af-
fected by fungus disease, red rot,
scientifically known as Solletotrichum
falcatum. Examination of the cane
showed that the rot usually began :
about the nodes and that frequently
the eyes were apparently dead, the
stalks retaining their normal color
inside. Often there were brown, wa
ter-soaked spots at the nodes at or
near the points from which the roots
of the new plant emerge. Occasional
ly it appeared as though the rot had
proceeded from the leaf sheaths into
the node.
| In uncovering the bank of sugar
cane stored for seed, it is not uncom-
mon to find some of the tender ends
of the stalks much rotted. In this sea-
son, however, in the majority of cases
these ends show an excessive brown
wet-rot beginning at the tips or in
ternodes of the stalks. The spots var
led in size and in some instances ex-
/ tended the full length of the internode.
Where the fungus penetrated the It's
sues to any extent, red discoloration
was present, many canes showing this
their full length.
A careful inspection of banks Of
seed cane was made by the depart
ments specialist in Grady county, Ca,
and in the vicinity of Apalachicola,
Fla, to ascertain the influences exert
ed by the different conditions under
which the cane might be bedded. 1t
was generally agreed among the plant
ers that cane for banking should be
cut in the rain or Immediately after a
rain, so that the cane would go into
the bank wet. The small bank was
thought to be less conducive to the
formation of red rot or other fungus
diseases than the large bank.
The usual procedure in Georgia and
|. Florida in banking seed cane is to
lay the stalks, including roots, leaves
and all side by side lengthwise with
the roots to the ground and the tops
overlapping the stalks. The bank is
usually about 6 feet wide and varies
: in length from 10 to 100 feet or more.
A thin layer of soil, to inches deep,
is then thrown over the cane. Accord
ing to many planters, the thinner this
layer OF soil is, the better are the re-
suits obtained. Many different condi-
tons, however, prevail in districts Wis
! tied by the departments specialist.
Some banks were covered with 4 to
6 inches of soil, some were bedded
: dry, others wet, some on high land,
Others on low, and it was not infre-
quently found that the cane had been
:, frosted.
: Both plant cane and stubble were
0 found stored in banks. However, in
9 none of these varying conditions could
:. any constant reason be found for the
, decay other than the presence of the
! red-rot fungus. At the experiment
farm at Cairo, Ca, it is planned tt
: investigate the red-rot fungus of sugar
l. cane, aiming to prevent the luxuriant
n development of the fungus which APP
d pears in the early warm springs days
e or to eliminate the fungus from tht
j. banks entirely. 1t is hoped to FIND
e. some means of preventing the decay
l. Of the cane, as it seems to recur tt
Is serious extent every few years, ant
3. is a serious menace to the sugar-can,
IF Industry