SELECTION OF HIGH SUGARED AND NON-FLOWERING SUGARCANE CLONES SOUTH MAHARASHTRA ZONE

摘要

Flowering in sugarcane is the primary abiotic related trait occurring in almost all the cane growing areas of South Maharashtra, causing drastic reduction in cane yield and thereby sugar production. Under such situation development of productive, non-flowering and high sugared varieties assumes greater importance to sustain cane and sugar production. Hence, the study was undertaken during the Preseason 2010-11 and 2011-12 at the seed farm of Shri Tatyasaheb Kore Warana S. S. K. Ltd., Kolhapur to identify families and traits of importance for genetic enhancement of sugarcane productivity under flowering environment. A hybrid seedlings population of 6725 diverse inter-varietal crosses were studied in seedlings and clonal generation under this zone and total ten selection from clonal trial I were evaluated under clonal trial II and III with five standard varieties. The study indicated that the biparental cross involving Co 91010 and Co 8371; polycross involving Co 87010, CoC 671, Co 85002 and Co 8371; general crosses involving Co 91010 as a female parent exhibited a better range of variability for sugar, cane yield and non-flowering behaving segregants. The other traits like tillering number, NMC and single cane weight at harvest can also be considered as selection traits for improvement of cane productivity. Hence, for the genetic enhancement of sugar productivity under flowering and high sugar recovery zone, the families/crosses identified could be considered as proven for isolating productive, high sugar with non-flowering progenies. The traits identified are effective and useful for identification of non-flowering and productive clones. Total four clones viz., VSI 173-6, VSI 243-2, VSI 243-4 and VSI 243-13 are selected for their non-flowering nature along with high sugar and cane productivity, could be promoted to advanced yield trials at different locations within flowering zone.