GENETIC DIVERGENCE OF STALK YIELD AND JUICE QUALITY AND THEIR COMPONENTS IN FLOWERING CLONES OF SACCHARUM OFFICINARUM

Abstract

Fifty three clones of Saccharum offidnarum which flower at Coimbatore and/or Cannanore were evaluated to study the pattern of genetic divergence. Data on six characters each of stalk yield and juice quality were recorded and subjected to multivariate DZ analysis separately. The clones were grouped in eleven clusters on the basis of stalk yield and its traits, and in seven clusters on the basis of juice quality traits. Hybridisation among the clones from diverse clusters may help in isolating progenies with higher stalk yield and improved juice quality.