Status of Sugarcane Smut (Ustilago Scitaminea Sydow) in Tanzania

Abstract

The disease was first reported in East Africa from Kenya in 1958 but was suspcted to have been present since 1956 (Robinson, 1959). At present sugarcane smut is known to occur in all the three East African countries of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, (Rogers et al., 1972). It has been considered as one of the three major sugarcane diseases in these countries (Block, 1970). Sugarcane smut was first noticed in Tanzania mainland in 1960 at Arusha Chini on cuttings from Morogoro (Anonymous, 1967). However, it is now known to occur in all the major sugarcane growing areas of mainland Tanzania and appears to be one of the major phytopathological problems to sugarcane production.