Analysis of spatio-temporal spread of Sugarcane yellow leaf virus in a disease free plot using point processes

Abstract : Yellow leaf disease is a recent, important and widely spread disease of sugarcane (6), causing severe yield losses on susceptible cultivars. The disease is caused by Sugarcane Yellow Leaf Virus (SCLRV) of the genus Polerovirus in the family Luteoviridae. This virus is transmitted from plant to plant only by aphids in a persistent, circulative and non replicative manner. The epidemic of the SCYLV was little studied and there is a need for information on the spatial spread of the disease and on the role of the aphid in the disease spread. SCYLV was first identified in Guadeloupe in 1996 and Melanaphis sacchari has been the only SCYLV vector found in sugarcane fields. Even if the infection rate is relatively low (0% to 21%), disease may increase and cause damage to sugarcane in Guadeloupe. Even though disease free tissue cultured plants are used for sanitary control in Guadeloupe, understanding SCYLV spread by its vector may help determine additional management strategies against the virus.