RATOON PERFORMANCE OF SUGARCANE VARIETIES UNDER SOUTHERN PUNJAB CONDITIONS

Abstract

Thirteen new promising sugarcane varieties viz CPHS.35, S2000US.50, S2001US.71, S2001SP.104, S2002US.36, S2002US.92, S2002US.116, S2002US.133, S2002US.162, S2002US.454, S2002US.619, S2002US.635 and CPF.246 were evaluated for their ratoon yield and quality against a commercial cultivar SPF.234 as check under Southern Punjab conditions during 2007 at Sugarcane Research Station, Khanpur. The variety CPF-246 on account of high number of sprouting per plant (1.57), significantly higher 100-cane weight (95.67 kg), highest millable cane count (112.69 thousand ha-1), maximum cane yield (107.90 t/ha) and comparable CCS% (12.74) against check SPF-234, produced the highest sugar yield of 13.74 t/ha. It was followed by S2002US.619. CPF.246 on the basis of 26.07, 1.35 and 26.75 % more ratoon cane yield, CCS and sugar yield, respectively over control is capable of replacing the check variety and can make gigantic strides in sugarcane production for sweet revolution. A wide scale testing in various agro-ecological zones is, however, invited for regional adaptability.