Study of commercial cane sugar contributing traits - their variability, association and implications for selection in advanced clonal stages of sugarcane (Saccharum spp.)

Sugarcane is one of the major agro-industrial crops with huge variations in state-wise cane production, productivity and sugar recovery. Twenty-five elite selections of sugarcane clones along with nine commercial checks (early and mid-late maturity group) were evaluated for different cane and sugar yield contributing traits. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences among genotypes along with low (<10%) to high (>20%) genotypic coefficient of variations for all studied traits suggested explicitly the presence of wide variation in genetic material used in the study. All the traits exhibited higher estimates (> 60 %) of heritability (h²b) except sucrose content (26.17 %); while genetic advance (%) of mean was observed low (<10%) for sucrose (%) to high (>20%) for commercial cane sugar, cane yield, germination, single cane weight, no. of shoots and no. of millable canes. Commercial cane sugar showed significant positive genotypic and phenotypic correlation with germination (%), no. of shoots, no. of millable canes, Stalk length, single cane weight, cane yield and sucrose (%). Cane yield (1.130, 0.995) had highest positive direct effect followed by sucrose (%) (0.308, 0.198). It is suggested that these traits can be considered as main determinant traits. High indirect effects of no. of shoots, no. of millable canes, stalk length, single cane weight through cane yield may be used for indirect selection for improving commercial cane sugar.