RATOON PERFORMANCE OF ELITE SUGARCANE CLONES UNDER SOUTHERN PUNJAB CONDITIONS

Abstract

A field experiment to investigate ratooning potential of ten sugarcane clones was carried during 2013-2014 at Sugarcane Research Station, Khanpur under hot dry conditions of Southern Punjab. The genotypes under investigation were S2003US.114, S2003US.165, S2003US.824, S2006SP.18, S2006SP.25, S2006US.469, S2006US.658, S2006US.832, S2006US.834 and CPF.246 (Standard). The results revealed that new promising sugarcane clone S2006US.658 on account of best stubble sprouting plant-1 (2.79), highest 100-cane weight (103.67 kg) coupled with good millable cane count (104.64 thousand ha-1 ) gave maximum stripped cane yield of 107.63 tons ha-1 . It was matchingly followed by S2003US.114 and CPF.246. The top yielder is also good in quality and as such it fetched maximum sugar yield of 12.86 tons ha-1 followed by S2003US.114 (12.05 tons ha-1 ). The promising sugarcane clone S2006US.658 owing to 7.45 and 0.96 % more ratoon cane and sugar yield, respectively over standard variety is capable of replacing it and can make gigantic strides in sugarcane production for sweet revolution. However, its wide scale testing in various agro ecological zones is invited for regional adoptability.