Abstract
To assess broad sense heritability and phenotypic and genetic correlations among sugarcane yield components, an experiment was conducted at Wonji and Metehara Sugar Estates of Sugar Corporation of Ethiopia during 2012/2013. High broad sense heritability (h2) was detected for stalk diameter (0.730), single cane weight (0.672), millable cane number (0.624), stalk height (0.624) and pol % (0.608), indicating that these traits could be selected for easily. Expected genetic gain of the yield components was moderate to high. All traits had low to high genetic correlations (rg = -0.005 to 0.884) with cane yield and (rg = 0.027 to 0.999) with sugar yield. On average genetic correlations were higher than phenotypic correlations. High Genotypic Coefficient of Variation (GCV), broad sense heritability and expected genetic advance were recorded for stalk diameter, single cane weight and millable cane number. A selection strategy based on these traits could lead to improvement in cane and sugar yield.
Highlights
Sugarcane varieties in commercial cultivation are complex polyploid
This study revealed that cane yield was associated with its various components, sugar quality traits and sugar yield genetically and phenotypically in various magnitudes
The study has indicated the magnitude of the correlations among cane yield traits, their heritability, expected genetic advance and genotype × environment interactions that could be encountered within the sugarcane breeding programme and demonstrated differential responses of different sugarcane clones to various environmental conditions
Summary
Sugarcane varieties in commercial cultivation are complex polyploid. The heterozygous and polyploid nature ofHow to cite this paper: Tena, E., Mekbib, F. and Ayana, A. (2016) Heritability and Correlation among Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) Yield and Some Agronomic and Sugar Quality Traits in Ethiopia. The information on the nature and the magnitude of variability present in the genetic material is of prime importance for a breeder to initiate any effective selection program. In Ethiopia, as in other tropical counties, sugarcane is the major raw material used for sugar production. At present sugarcane is cultivated on 37,000 ha and the four sugar mills in different parts of the country produce about 300,000 ton sugar per annum. This production does not satisfy the domestic consumption, and the deficit is being offset by importing sugar from abroad. To bridge the gap between supply and demand as well as to exploit the international market, besides expanding the existing ones, Ethiopia is in the course of establishing new sugar factories with large tract of sugarcane plantation with the aim of attaining production of 2.25 million tons sugar and 181 million litres of ethanol at the end of the year 2014/15 [1]
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