Character interrelationships in cultivar x species progenies in sugarcane

Character associations were studied in the progenies of Indian sugarcane cultivars crossed with S. officinarum (HO), S. spontaneum (HS) and S. sinense/barberi (HB). Correlation coefficients between cane yield, its components, and quality characters varied amongst the three mating groups. Path analysis revealed that No. of stalks and sucrose content were important components of sugar yield in HO group, whereas cane diameter and sucrose content were importantin HS group. In the HB mating group, sucrose content was the most important character and it had positive association with all the quantitative traits except NMC.