Effect of cytoplasmic diversity on performance of sugarcane hybrids

Selected clones of S. spontaneum, S. barberi and S. sinense were used as pistil parents and S. otticinarum, Co and allied hybrids as pollen parents with the objective to introduce cytoplasmic diversity from S. spontaneum, S. barberi and S. sinense. The ultimate aim of the programme was to select elite donors for stalk yield and juice quality traits as well as for red rot resistance. Difference in means of S. barberi x commercial hybrids (F₁ - Sb) progenies and (S. spontaneum x S. otticinarum Icommercial hybrid) x commercial hybrid (BC₁-S_S) progenies was significant only for red rot disease index. Mean performance of these two progeny groups was better than F_l progenies of S. spontaneum x S. officinarum Icommercial hybrid (F_l - S_s) for all the traits, except number of millable stalks (NMS) and stalk length. These results did not indicate any significant contribution (on the traits studied) of diverse cytoplasm from species other than S. otticinarum.