CANE Productivity Service (CPS, formerly Cane Protection and Productivity
Board) staff have, for many years, monitored the incidence of sugarcane pests
and diseases within the Queensland sugar industry. This paper summarises
disease data gathered since 1965. The data clearly indicate that chlorotic streak
has affected significant areas of the Queensland sugarcane crop over a long
period, with the incidence varying according to weather conditions; there is no
trend for a decrease in the area affected by this disease. Other diseases such as
ratoon stunting disease, brown rust, orange rust and Fiji leaf gall have also
affected large areas, especially during disease epiphytotics. The presence of
good control strategies has meant that, in general, the area affected by these
diseases has decreased fairly quickly after the peak of disease incidence, except
for chlorotic streak. Other diseases capable of causing significant yield loss, such
as leaf scald, sugarcane mosaic and red rot, have been well controlled, because
effective control strategies have been employed. In recent times, the proportion
of fields treated with mercurial fungicides for the control of pineapple disease
has increased, probably because of the germination stimulation provided by this
type of fungicide. There remains some uncertainty regarding the continued longterm
monitoring of pest and disease incidence by some CPSs due to their
broadened scope of activities, and their need to address other priorities.