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Sugarcane is a kind of plantation crop that can be used as a raw material for the sugar industry. The productivity of sugarcane can be influenced by several factors, including infection of pathogenic bacteria such as Leifsonia xyli f.sp. xyli (Lxx), the causal agent of Ratoon Stunting Disease (RSD) in sugarcane. The disease is one of the major diseases of sugarcane worldwide. RSD is symptomless unless the disease incidence is severe. The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method is generally known for detecting plant pathogens. However, there is still limited information on the detection of RSD using PCR. Therefore, our study aimed to detect the existence of RSD in sugarcane seeds using the PCR method. Three sugarcane varieties were used in this study, including AAS Agribun, AMS Agribun, and BQ (positive control of RSD). We did sample the stems and midribs of those three varieties at the age of 3 and 7 months. The results showed that Lxx was found both in the stem and midrib of sugarcane variety BQ at the age of 3 and 7 months. These results indicated that the PCR method can be used for early detection of RSD in sugarcane seeds.

Tritrophic interaction among plants, herbivores and natural enemies of the herbivores is mediated by volatiles. Tritrophic interaction model using rice plant, brown planthopper (BPH), and egg parasitoid of BPH were used to study the volatiles involved in the interaction. Extraction of chemicals in rice plants, determination of the extracted volatiles using GC-MS, and bioassays of the volatiles to analyse the orientation behavior of the egg parasitoid were methods used to study the involvement of the volatiles in the interaction. The knowledge of chemistry involved in such complicated natural interaction is beneficial for enhancing conservation biological control (CBC) of BPH using natural population of its egg parasitoid. Implementation of the positive volatile compounds attract the egg parasitoid as a component of CBC, materials involved that adsorb and release the volatiles efficiently. A material made of integrated bio-silica-cellulose was proven to be an effective adsorbent. Analytical chemistry was important in supporting these findings. Furthermore, in order to increase the efficiency of the volatiles that are positively involved in the tritrophic interaction, developing an attractant formula using syntheticsimilar compounds and bio-silica-cellulose adsorbent is valuable in enhancing CBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]