The yellow sugarcane aphid (YSA) (Sipha flava) has become a threat to sugarcane production worldwide because of its pre-harvest damage, which results in huge economic losses. A systematic literature search was conducted to understand the HPR of sugarcane to YSA usingGoogle Scholar (https://scholar.google.com), SCOPUS (https://www.scopus.com), Web of Science (https://www.webofknowledge.com), and Sciencedirect (https://sciencedirect.com), and we selected 992 papers from the year 1884 up to 2023. The hunt for studies commenced with1884, the year Forbes identified YSA, in order to fully capitalize on the necessity of this investigation. The search parameters included the following terms ("yellow sugarcane aphid” OR “Sipha flava”) AND (“Host plant resistance mechanism”) AND (“sugarcane” OR “Saccharum officinarum"). Book chapters, reviews, and meta-analyses were not included in the analyses. Other prerequisites for suitability for inclusion in the review were studies including sugarcane aphid (SCA) and YSA studies involving cereal grasses or sugarcane. Seventy-eight articles were included in this study. This study aimed to assemble research on S. flava to address the following four objectives: (i) leaf pubescence (trichomes) that mediates resistance to YSA in sugarcane varieties; (ii) biochemical properties affected by S. flava in sugarcane; (iii) physiological responses of sugarcane to S. flava herbivory; and (iv) phytochemical profiling of metabolites that confer resistance to S. flava in sugarcane. Most of the work was biased towards other aphid species, insect arthropods, and crops other than S. flava in sugarcane. Using YSA-resistant sugarcane varieties in combination with other management practices is a promising management strategy for S. flava control. The lack of adequate research on sugarcane HPR in response to YSA is a result of complex in screening for resistance, and farmers focus on other control methods. Therefore, there is need for policies that support the incorporation of HPR into existing Integrated YSA management strategies.