Selection Indices in Mid-Late Maturing Clones of Sugarcane (Saccharum Complex Hybrid)

Genetic evaluation of twenty seven mid late sub tropical sugarcane clones based on thirteen quality and quantity attributing traits viz., germination %, number of tillers at 120 and 240 days, number of millable canes, number of internodes per stalk, cane height, cane girth, single cane weight, sucrose % in mid Nov., mid-Dec. and mid-Jan., commercial cane sugar (CCS t/ha) and cane yield (t/ha) were carried out. In order to make selection of better genotypes, genetic parameters such as correlation coefficient, path coefficient and selection indices, were estimated for all the characters under study. Cane yield, had highly significant positive association with number of tillers at 120 and 240 days, number of millable canes, cane girth, cane height and single cane weight. The path analysis showed that maximum direct effects on cane yield was exhibited by number of millable cane followed by single cane weight. In order to make selection more effective, three criteria were used in selection indices viz., selection basd on per se performance, selection indices using all characters at a time and selection index using two best characters. Number of millable canes and single cane weight can be equally utilized for assessing the genotypic performance.