MINI REVIEW: ACHIEVEMENTS IN SUGARCANE VARIETY PRODUCTION PROCESS

Abstract

Preliminary sugarcane production in Pakistan trusted on imported germplasm (True seed clones). The popular and highly successful varieties including BL-4, Triton, BF-162, SPF-234, HSF-240, CP 77-400, CP 43-33, CP 72-2086, SPF-213, SPF-245, CPF-237 and CPF-246 were selected from crosses imported from Agriculture Research Service, USDA, Canal point, USA, Sao Paul, Brazil and SRI, Sri-lanka. HSF-240 and SPF-234 were grown successfully in several districts of Punjab where they produced high yield and ratooning ability. In Pakistan there is a lack of breeding program due to un-favorable humidity (80 to 85%), Temperature (20 to 26 ° C), Dark night (11:30 hr), lack of viable seed setting and lack of proper glasshouse (controlled conditions) facility at research stations. Naturally, flowering was done at Sugarcane Breeding Sub-Station, Murree, Thatta (Sajawal), Sindh and Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Nine-stage breeding program is currently being executed in the variety development process. More than twenty-three varieties have been approved from commercial cultivation. These clones/varieties were imported different countries and after being selected/evaluated from different varietal tests/stages got approved from commercial cultivation. These varieties have greatly increase area, production and yield of sugarcane since 1947-2018. There is a dire need to enhance sugarcane germplasm so that it is being used for sugarcane variety development in Pakistan. Currently, high realized selection gains are evident in most of the advanced selection populations. The released varieties show genetic gains over time. Efforts to enhance the breeding program include introgression, family evaluation, selection models and use of molecular markers.