Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV), a potyvirus of the family Potyviridae, is one of the most common viral pathogens of maize in Vietnam. SCMV induces typical mosaic symptoms and dwarfing on maize. Yields of infected plants are remarkably reduced. The most reliable and cheap method for diagnosis of this virus is ELISA. In this study, purified preparations of SCMV were made and used to immunize rabbits. Rabbits were injected with purified SCMV for four times at weekly intervals and the antisera from immunizated rabbits were verified for the presence of SCMV antibodies at weekly intervals using a indirect-ELISA method. ELISA tests showed that SCMV antisera produced from this study were able to reliably detect SCMV from infected leaves and comparable with a commercialized ELISA from Agdia.