Worldwide distribution. On sugarcane, maize and sorghum, crop relatives and wild species. Important fungal disease.
Infections through nodes and wounds. Large red external patches, and internal rots with white spots at right angles to stem. Leaves yellow, dry and die.
Spread in setts, and by water-splashed spores.
Cultural control: setts only from healthy fields; avoid planting in dry or wet times; treat setts in hot water (50°C for 2 hours); avoid soils that waterlog; avoid overlapping crops; tolerant varieties; collect trash and burn after harvest.
Chemical control: none recommended; not an economic option.