ENHANCING SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION IN THE MARGINAL SOILS THROUGH THE ADOPTION OF APPROPRIATE VARIETIES

摘要

The sugar cane breeding programme of the Mauritius Sugar Industry Research Institute (MSIRI) is primarily geared towards the development of varieties for the major soil groups in different agro-climatic environments, which represent about 83% of the area under sugar cane cultivation in Mauritius. However, for the marginal soils, no specific breeding programme exists. Since 1996, variety trials have been initiated in different regions of the island where the area of marginal land is significant. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of a number of promising and newly released varieties bred for the major soil group in these soils. In most of the trials, a few tested varieties were systematically more productive than the standardones. The results of the study have contributed to fine-tune variety recommendations for the marginal soils, that have enhanced sugar production through the adoption of better performing varieties.