Potential hybrids through recurrent selection for yield and quality in sugarcane

Abstract

Cane yield in sugarcane is a major driving force for overall improvement and an approach towards selection of better high yielding varieties combining high sucrose through recurrent selection programme is the essential objective of the breeder. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of selection on yield and yield parameters and on the correlated responses in the populations and identification of potential hybrids of commercial worth. Effect of recurrent selection was studied in populations for Yield (Ax A), Yield and quality (AxB) and Quality (Bx B). Yield traits like number of millable canes, cane height and cane diameter significantly improved over two cycles of recurrent selections. Correlated responses of yield traits in the three populations were in the desired direction. The recurrent selection to increase cane yield was found to be effective over four cycles of selection in yield population with significant gain. There was a substantial improvement for cane weight, cane height, cane thickness and stalk number in four cycles of selection. Two cycles of recurrent selection was completed in A x B population and genetic progress was observed for yield (upto 23.95%) and quality (4.38%) traits. Two cycles of recurrent selection was completed in B x B population and genetic progress observed for NMC and sucrose %. The cycle I and II hybrids showed an overall improvement of 15.21% for number of millable canes and 5.38 % for sucrose%. Sixty cycle hybrids were evaluated in RBD and among them C4 34, C4 66, C4 25 recorded the maximum sucrose of 20.10 % at 300 days and among the C3 and C4 hybrids evaluated for juice and yield traits at 360 days, 13 hybrids were promising. C4 -66 and C4-22 recorded the maximum sucrose of 23.66%. recorded the maximum sucrose of 23.66 % followed by C3- 41 with 22.84 % and C3 -12 with 22.85 % in comparison with CoC 671 (23.17%).These clones combined high yield, quality and red rot resistance. The top ten high yielding hybrids recoded significant single cane weight, cane population, cane diameter and cane yield in comparison with the base population. The third cycle of selection of the populations forms a new source of prebreeding material that could be utilized in breeding programmes. The reciprocal recurrent selection program adopted in Ax B population can be strengthened to improve yield population. The positive results indicate the usefulness of recurrent selection for developing new parental lines or varieties of commercial value in sugarcane.