White leaf disease

Symptoms

• Leaves develop cream-white coloured stripes parallel to the midrib, which eventually cover the whole leaf.
• Infected leaves are narrower than healthy leaves.
• Plants tiller profusely, have short internode length and look bushy.
• Poor ratooning after harvest, which results in patchy crops.

Spread

• Transmitted by the exotic leafhoppers Matsumuratettix hiroglyphicus and Yamatotettix flavovittatus .
• Infected propagation material can also spread the disease.