Photosynthesis in Sugarcane Varieties Infected with Strains of Sugarcane Mosaic Virus

Symptoms of sugarcane mosaic virus disease caused by strains B and D were accompanied by a reduction in the rate of photosynthesis per unit area; the severe symptoms of strain A and the mild symptoms of strain I produced rates no different from those of healthy plants of variety C.P. 31-588. All four strains decreased chlorophyll content and increased the amount of light transmitted by the leaf. Photosynthetic rates were reduced less than the reduction of chlorophyll would indicate. Symptoms moderated on older leaves, but rates of photosynthesis per dm² were less in older leaves of both healthy and diseased plants. Sugarcane varieties differed in their rates of photosynthesis in both healthy and in virus-infected plants; a significant reduction in photosynthetic rate by sugarcane mosaic occurred in three of the four varieties.