Sugarcane Smut in the Ethiopian Sugar Estates: Importance, pathogenic variability and management through fungicides

Sugarcane is an important commercial crop in Ethiopia. Despite, importance of sugarcane in the country, diseases, weeds and insect pests are among the major constraints of sugarcane production. In Ethiopia, sugarcane smut (Ustilago scitaminea Syd.) was first recorded immediately after commercial sugarcane plantation was established at Wonji-Shoa in 1954. This work entails on the current economic importance of sugarcane smut, the pathogenic variability and its management through fungicides in the three sugarcane plantations of Ethiopia (namely Wonji-Shoa, Metahara and Finchaa).