Responses to recurrent selection for yield in sugarcane population

Abstract

The recurrent selection scheme thus besides increasing the frequency of favorable alleles, also enhanced the base population and helped in maintaining sufficient genetic variability for genetic improvement in subsequent cycles for further utilization. Reciprocal recurrent selection (RRS) is a breeding procedure designed to improve two different heterogenous populations by using both general and specific combining ability. The reciprocal recurrent selection program adopted in A x B (yield x quality) population can also be strengthened to improve yield population. In this study genotypes from two populations were evaluated in reciprocal crosses and the best genotypes of each population are selected and recombined to give rise to improved yield population. The data obtained from this study indicate that new improved yield and quality populations developed from recurrent selection programs will be a useful source for future breeding programmes. The positive results indicate the usefulness of recurrent selection for developing new parental lines or varieties of commercial value in sugarcane. It is also suggested that further cycles of selection would result in additional improvement for yield and also indicate the potential of the recurrent selection which will be a good alternative for improving quantitative traits in sugarcane