RELATIVE CANE YIELD AND QUALITY APPRAISAL OF DIVERGENT SUGARCANE CLONES IN 4TH CYCLE UNDER THATTA CLIMATIC CONDITIONS

Abstract

The experiment was conducted at National Sugar Crops Research Institute; farm Thatta to investigate the cane yield and quality performance of thirteen sugarcane clones in 4th cycle during 2003-04. The experiment was laid out under randomized complete block design with three replications. Thirteen sugarcane clones viz. HoTh-301, HoTh-307, HoTh-309, HoTh313, HoTh-316, HoTh-318, HoTh-325, HoTh-332, HoTh-334, HoTh-337, HoTh-340, HoTh344, HoTh-349 along with Thatta-10 as check were planted in plant crop during October 2003. The results showed that there were highly significant differences amongst the clones for the traits under study. Six sugarcane clones HoTh-318, HoTh-316, HoTh-307, HoTh-344, HoTh-349 and HoTh-332 gave out standing performance by producing highest average cane yield of 119.26, 118.0, 117.68, 116.38, 114.95 and 114.81 t/ha respectively against the check variety Thatta-10 (114.0 t/ha). While, in case of sugar yield the clones HoTh-318, HoTh-307, HoTh-316, HoTh-344, HoTh-349 and HoTh-332 remained superior by producing maximum sugar yield of 15.46, 15.16, 15.13, 15.01, 14.77 and 14.50 t/ha respectively against the check variety Thatta-10, which gave sugar yield of 14.19 t/ha. Contrary to this, the other clones in the trial could not exceed check variety in terms of cane and sugar yield. Thus on account of maximum cane and sugar yield the clones HoTh-307, HoTh-316, HoTh-318, HoTh-332, HoTh-344 and HoTh-349 were advanced to next selection stage for further progression and testing.