Assessment of promising sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) families for enhancement of cane and sugar productivity

Abstract

Sugarcane is a major source of sugar, facing constant pressure to enhance productivity due to the increased cost of cultivation and fluctuating global market prices. Assessing crosses for clonal development with enhanced productivity is hitherto a proven approach. Selecting the right parent combinations is essential for creating high-yielding progenies. In this context, 33 families (crosses) were evaluated for fluff germination, seedling survival, and productivity traits in the segregating seedling generation. Overall, across diverse crosses, out of 3,020 seedlings, 2,284 survived, with certain crosses showing better performance. A total of 482 clones were selected based on productivity and visual traits of commercial importance compared to the popular check, Co 86032 and were further assessed for cane and sugar productivity traits in the first clonal generation. High heritability was observed for most traits, indicating the effectiveness of selection. Among the clones studied, SNK 191675, SNK 190690 and SNK 191748 showed significantly higher productivity than the popular check, Co 86032. Furthermore, the present study identified promising families, namely, CoVC 14062 × CoT 8201, Thirumadhuram × CoPant 97222, Co 86032 × CoSe 92423, CoVC 14062 × Co 775, MS 68/47 (GC), Co 86011 (GC) and Co 99004 (GC), which showed superior performance in both the seedling and first clonal generations in terms of germination, seedling establishment and the percentage of selectable segregants along with productivity traits. Among these, a few crosses such as CoVC 14062 × CoT 8201, Thirumadhuram × CoPant 97222, ISH 69 (GC), CoVC 14062 (GC) and Co 85002 (GC) also exhibited an acceptable narrow range of variability with significantly superior mean productivity features over commercial popular clonal check, Co 86032. Hence, such crosses are promising not only for clonal varietal development but also for the exploitation of seedlings for direct commercial cultivation.