Evaluation of sugarcane clones in two crop cycles and interrelationships among yield and agronomic traits

Abstract

Twenty sugarcane clones (genotypes) and one check cultivar were grown in a randomized complete block design with three replications at Mattana Agricultural Research Station Luxor Governorate, Egypt, during 2017–2018 and 2018–2019. The objective of study was to evaluate and calculate interrelationships among cane yield and quality traits in plant cane (PC) and first ratoon crop (FR) at early clonal selection stage. The results showed significant (p < 0.05) differences among the genotypes for cane yield and its component traits, sugar yield and quality traits, except for purity percentage. The interaction of genotype x crop cycle was highly significant for most studied traits (p < 0.01), except for purity, sugar recovery percentages and sugar yield. Mean performance for different traits revealed that clone G.2017–68 showed substantial superiority over the other ones, for cane yield. G.2017–30 recorded the highest sugar yield/fed, while the lowest was recorded for G.2017–28. The correlation analysis showed that the cane diameter, number of stalks per meter and cane height contributed the most in the harvestable cane yield. Based on the performance of genotypes across the two crop cycles, the selection at the plant cane and first ratoon can be recommended at early clonal stage to strengthen the varietal development program.