Studies were conducted to screen some promising varieties of sugarcane for their resistance potential to withstand cold injury. The plants at 4–6 leaf stage of growth were subjected to simulated cold exposure at −2.5±0.2°C for 6 hours daily for two days. Similar treatment was also given to sugarcane setts and leaf tissue of each variety. Based on plant mortality index (P.M.I.) tissue injury index (T.I.I.) and bud mortality index (B.M.I) only three varieties namely, S.20–74, S.472-75 and S.738-75 proved resistant only to P.M.+B.M. However, these varieties also proved tolerant to tissue injury, Interestingly a large number of varieties behaved to be resistant and/or tolerant for bud mortality, but none for (P.M.+T.I.), (T.I.+B.M)and(P.M.+T.I.+B.M). Of the cold resistant and tolerant varieties the germ plasm of S.20–74 and Co. 1148 as being higher in cane yield and CoJ208 and S. 738-75 as being higher in sucrose as well as purity of juice, may be utilized with advantage in future breeding programme to develop a variety possessing still higher resistance potential with yield and quality for commercial adoption where frost is a great hazard in sugarcane cultivation.
