Juice Quality Traits Research Articles

Validation of Early Maturing Sugarcane Clones for Yield and Juice Quality Traits

The present investigation in sugarcane (Saccharumspp. hybrids) was carried out to evaluate and validate the performance of early duration clones for cane yield and quality characters at sugarcane Research Station (TNAU) Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu. Observations were recorded fornumber of tillers (x1000/ha), cane length (cm), cane diameter (cm), single cane weight (kg), cane yield (t/ha) Brix (%), sucrose (%), Purity (%), CCS (%) and sugar yield (t/ha).Overall performance of field trial, the clone, CoC 11336 was found to be best for cane yield and its contributing traits like number of millable canes, cane length, cane diameter and single cane weight over the check CoA 92081. The same clone CoC 11336 was found to be top performer for CCS yield. The test clone CoA 12321 was the next entry for cane yield, quality and its contributing traits. The clone CoV 12356 was found to be better for quality traits viz.,brix %, sucrose %, CCS % and purity % over the check variety CoA 92081.Hence, these three early clones could be tested for the confirmation of the results for better cane yield and juice quality under different agro climatic locations for release of new sugarcane variety.

Selection of Saccharum spp. × Saccharum spontaneum progeny for sugar and biomass traits

ABSTRACT This study evaluated an interspecific hybrid (Saccharum spp. × S. spontaneum) population with the aim of developing germplasm for use in both sugar and bioenergy (biomass) production. Specific objectives were to determine the genetic variability and heritability among the interspecific hybrid progenies for traits of economic importance and to use the Best Linear Unbiased Predictions (BLUPs) to determine their genotypic values. The 46 interspecific hybrids used in this study originated from crossing commercial sugarcane cultivars (UT5, F152, and KK07–559) as female and S. spontaneum clones (THS98–41, THS98–91, THS98–95, THS98–94, and THS97–51) as male parents. There were significant residual variances, attributed to the small plot size, but the juice quality traits were measured with relatively higher precision than other traits. Selection recommendations varied for different traits, suggesting selection pressure could be moderate to high for juice quality traits and moderate for yield-related traits. No hybrid genotypes were found to outperform cultivar parents for traits such as commercial cane sugar and low fiber, necessitating further germplasm enhancement for improvement of varieties destined for sugar production. On the contrary, transgressive segregation was observed for cane yield and other traits influencing biomass yield. The production potential of these hybrids could be tested in larger plots across multiple locations.

Deciphering biomass contributing traits of interspecific and intergeneric hybrids derived from early generations hybrids of Saccharum and Erianthus Spp. as potential sources of biomass and bioenergy

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp., hybrids (2 n=100–130)) is one of the industrial crops cultivated mainly for sugar in the tropical and subtropical regions. It has earned the attention of many countries as a prominent energy crop owing to its exceptional biomass production potential. Energy cane is a hybrid of commercial and wild sugarcane, which was bred for high fiber content and low sucrose. Average energy cane biomass production potential is much higher, and brix levels are lower, compared with commercial sugarcane. A total of 138 Saccharum spp. hybrids representing 99 interspecific hybrids (ISH) and 39 intergeneric hybrids (IGH) derived from intercrossing of species clones of S. spontaneum, S. robustum and wild genus, Erianthus arundinaceus were evaluated along with the commercial hybrids for their cane growth and quality parameters, fibre and biomass traits. In general, the ISH and IGH clones recorded higher fibre per cent with maximum of 32% (ISH-562) and maximum biomass yield of 396.16 t/ha (ISH-571), lower values for quality characters such as juice brix 10.68% (ISH-571), sucrose 6.65% (ISH-579) and commercial cane sugar (CCS) 3.66% (ISH-579). Total biomass showed a significant positive correlation with the number of tillers (‘000/ha) at 120 days (r =0.176), number of shoots (‘000/ha) at 240 days (r = 0.129), number of stalks (‘000/ha) at 360 days (r = 0.249), cane height (r = 0.163) and single cane weight (SCW) (r = 0.508) and positive correlation with quality traits indicates the possibility of simultaneous improvement for biomass and quality traits. However, the fibre per cent has showed a significant negative correlation with quality traits viz., extraction % (r = −0.616), juice brix % (r = −0.419), sucrose % (r = −0.422), CCS % (r = −0.409), cane diameter (r = −0.600) and SCW (r = −0.475) suggests difficulty in combining both the traits. In the cluster analysis, the cluster III with 12 clones is more similar to commercial cultivars for juice quality (20.16% juice brix and 18.08% of sucrose) and cane traits, however the cluster V consist of 4 clones (ISH-557, ISH-563, ISH-571 and ISH-572) recorded highest total biomass yield of 368.72 t/ha and a mean fibre of 19.50% could be exploited for green energy purposeor as parental stocks in breeding programme.

Evaluation of Sugarcane Families and Identification of Promising Families for Cane Yield and Juice Quality Traits in Early Selection Stages

The utilization of superior parental lines and identification of promising families enhance the genetic gain in sugarcane. To identify the promising families, 1620 progenies derived from twenty two crosses involving genetically diverse historical parents were evaluated for cane yield and juice quality attributing traits. The mean number of millable canes per clump (9.00), cane girth (2.32 cm), millable cane height (217.00 cm) and Brix% in juice (20.79%) were recorded. The significant variance, high broad-sense heritability and genetic advance over mean suggested that number of millable canes per clump, single cane weight, millable cane height, Pol% in juice and Brix% in juice are suitable for family evaluation. Based on progeny performance, families of Co 86032 × CoVC 14061 and Co 0312 GC, were found significantly superior compared to most popular clonal check, Co 86032 for number of millable canes per clump, similarly, CoVC 14062 × Co 89003 and Co 86002 × ISH 69 for cane girth, and CoVC 14062 × Co 89003, Co 11015 and Co 87015 for CCS% in juice content at early selection stages. Among 22 families studied, the four families viz., Co 86032 × CoVC 14061, CoVC 14062 × Co 89003, CoVC 14062 GC, Co 87015 GC and Co 11015 GC, produced higher percentage of population selection with acceptable range for commercially important traits (Brix% in juice, cane yield components). These identified promising families can be further exploited in sugarcane varietal improvement.

Identification of potential MTAs and candidate genes for juice quality- and yield-related traits in Saccharum clones: a genome-wide association and comparative genomic study

Sugarcane is an economically important commercial crop which provides raw material for the production of sugar, jaggery, bioethanol, biomass and other by-products. Sugarcane breeding till today heavily relies on conventional breeding approaches which is time consuming, laborious and costly. Integration of marker-assisted selection (MAS) in sugarcane genetic improvement programs for difficult to select traits like sucrose content, resistance to pests and diseases and tolerance to abiotic stresses will accelerate varietal development. In the present study, association mapping approach was used to identify QTLs and genes associated with sucrose and other important yield-contributing traits. A mapping panel of 110 diverse sugarcane genotypes and 148 microsatellite primers were used for structured association mapping study. An optimal subpopulation number (ΔK) of 5 was identified by structure analysis. GWAS analysis using TASSEL identified a total of 110 MTAs which were localized into 27 QTLs by GLM and MLM (Q + K, PC + K) approaches. Among the 24 QTLs sequenced, 12 were able to identify potential candidate genes, viz., starch branching enzyme, starch synthase 4, sugar transporters and G3P-DH related to carbohydrate metabolism and hormone pathway-related genes ethylene insensitive 3-like 1, reversion to ethylene sensitive1-like, and auxin response factor associated to juice quality- and yield-related traits. Six markers, NKS 5_185, SCB 270_144, SCB 370_256, NKS 46_176 and UGSM 648_245, associated with juice quality traits and marker SMC31CUQ_304 associated with NMC were validated and identified as significantly associated to the traits by one-way ANOVA analysis. In conclusion, 24 potential QTLs identified in the present study could be used in sugarcane breeding programs after further validation in larger population. The candidate genes from carbohydrate and hormone response pathway presented in this study could be manipulated with genome editing approaches to further improve sugarcane crop.

Morfološki diverzitet i PCA genotipova šećerne trske (Saccharum officinarum L.) u Finchaa Sugar Estate, Etiopija

This study was conducted to assess the extent of morphological variation, cluster the genotypes into relatively homogenous groups and to identify the major characters contributing to the overall diversity of 22 exotic sugarcane genotypes at Finchaa Sugar Estate. The experimental design used was RCBD laid in three replications. Quantitative traits such as number of internodes, millable stalk, plant height, stalk girth, single cane weight, cane yield, brix percent juice, pol percent, sugar recovery percentage and sugar yield were investigated. ANOVA indicated the existence of high phenotypic and genetic diversity between genotypes for all quantitative traits studied which could be utilized for further sugarcane improvement. The principal component analysis for the genotypes exhibited variance of 43.12%, 18.8% and 13.71% for the first three categories and accounts about 75.63% of the total variation and the juice quality traits showed greater loading for the variation in the first principal component category. Cluster analysis grouped genotypes in to five distinct classes with maximum number of genotypes (7) in cluster II and minimum (1) in cluster V. In the first cluster six sugarcane genotypes were included this accounted 27.27% of the investigated materials which had been categorized by high cane length and single stalk weight. The second cluster which accounts 31.82% of the materials were characterized by lower cane length and single stalk weight. Recoverable sugar percent had almost zero correlation with cane length, millable stalk count and sugar yield (r= 0.02, 0.02 and-0.01 respectively) indicating the possibility of simultaneous improvement of these traits.

Genetic Variation and Heritability for Juice Quality and Yield Traits in Selection of Sugarcane Genotypes under Irrigation at Early Stage in Ferké 2 Sugar Estate of Northern Ivory Coast

Genetic relationships between important attributes in studying sugarcane populations through breeding and direct selection, are crucialto understand how changes made by selecting one character may cause changes in others. The study aimed to determine the best yielding sugarcane genotypes tested at early selection stage under sprinkler irrigation, in comparison with a check variety (R579). The experiment was designed following a randomized complete block (RCB), with 30 cane genotypes in three replications. Each plot consisted of five dual rows of ten meters, with 0.5 and 1.90 m of inter-row spacing, i.e. 95 m² per plot and nearly 6,000 m² for the whole experiment. It was carried out on a commercial sugarcane plantation of Ferké 2, in northern Ivory Coast, over two seasons (plant cane and first ratoon) as an early-season crop from, November 29, 2018 to October 26, 2020. In each micro-plot, different agro-morphological traits were collected at harvest from three central dual rows.

Plant and Weather Factors on Resistance of Saccharum officinarum Germplasm Against Ring Spot Disease

Ring spot caused by Leptosphaeria sacchari is a very common disease of sugarcane in humid tropical conditions. We have conducted a detailed study on status of disease resistance to the disease in our major Saccharum spp collections of Saccharum officinarum. All the S. officinarum clones exhibited ring spot disease with varying intensity as 70.14% clones showed resistant reaction, 24.3% clones showed intermediate reaction and 5.5% clones showed susceptible reaction. The disease appears in the month of June and remains until the harvest. Maximum average disease severity (29.33%) was observed in the July. The accessions analysed also showed significant difference with respect to origin. Multiple comparisons indicated that mean rank of Thailand accessions (682.50) was significantly highest as compared to those of other. Stalk height and leaf length showed significantly weak correlation with ring spot incidence, and other morphological factors were not significant. Disease severity with leaf colour and canopy type was found significant. Purple-leaved clones recorded lower disease incidence than other clones. Very strong positive correlation was observed with rainfall, evening relative humidity and rainy days, whereas maximum temperature showed significant negative correlation. This study clearly indicated the role played by the morphological factors, juice quality traits and weather factors in determining resistance in germplasm to ring spot disease in sugarcane.

Identifying potential sugarcane families for cane yield and juice quality traits in early selection stages

Seventy two F1s segregating populations were studied from 2012–13 to 2017–18 to identify promising crosses and proven male as well as female parents along with suitable breeding strategies for developing early maturing varieties. Sufcient variability within and among the segregating populations was observed with a high probability of getting early maturing genotypes. Percentage population selected expressed signifcant positive correlation coefficient with Brix% (0.71) and number of seedling selected (0.48) only. A total twelve biparental crosses were found to be promising. However, based on average performances repeated over years, four specific cross combinations as well as two female parents and three male parents were observed most promising comparatively as exhibiting higher value of NMC (4.0), Brix (18.0) and percentage population selected (80.0). Thus emphasis should be given on individual trait based Efficient selection at early clonal stages on large population per cross under concerned environmental condition(s).

PERFORMANCE OF SWEET SORGHUM (Sorghum bicolor L.) GERMPLASM RESOURCES FOR THEIR INDUSTRIAL TRAITS UNDER EGYPTIAN CONDITIONS

Sweet sorghum is an emerging versatile crop species that offers grain for human consumption, fodder for livestock and ethanol for transportation purposes. The knowledge on industrial characters including juice quality traits and sugar components is an indispensable task for improving the crop at commercial level and establish sustainable value chain. In the current study a set of 68 sweet sorghum genotypes comprising land race collections and improved cultivars were evaluated for their fresh biomass yield, stripped stalk yield, dry matter yield, juice yield and quality traits (Purity%, Glucose Recovery%, Reducing sugar%, Sucrose%, and Total soluble sugar). The genotypes showed significant level of variation at p < 0.01 for all the eleven industrial traits regarding the five juice quality parameters measured. The juice purity of the genotypes ranged between 46.04% and 100%. The total soluble solids of the test genotypes had displayed a maximum value of 24.5 and a minimum of 10. The sucrose percent (pol) was found to range between 7.2% and 17.76% percent. This indicates the presence of promising possibility for the future improvement of the crop. The test genotypes were found to be clustered into five distinct clusters. Conclusively, the tested sweet sorghum genotypes displayed a broad range of variability in terms of all the measured industrial crops. The juice quality parameters in the test genotypes were found to be significantly higher as compared to different commercial improved cultivars. This indicates the presence of promising possibility for the future improvement of the crop. The test genotypes were found to be clustered into five distinct clusters. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that the evaluated sweet sorghum genotypes had superior performance in terms of their juice yield and quality traits. Hence, they could be exploited in the future improvement of the crop as an industrial crop.

Stalk-Juice Quality Traits of Sweet Sorghum as Affected by Season in Sudan

An experiment was conducted in Shambat (2012-2013) during the summer and winter seasons to study the stalk-juice quality parameters of 29 exotic and local sweet sorghum varieties as affected by season. The objectives were to provide basic data attributing to syrup and sugar (jaggery) production in the Sudan. The materials were arranged in RCB design. Data were collected on brix, pol (sucrose %), reducing sugars, total sugars, purity and pH. The single and combined analysis of variance revealed highly significant differences among varieties for all traits studied. The variety x season interaction was significant for all traits other than total sugars %, implying the need for considering the variety choice in each season. The results of juice quality parameters were mostly within the range reported in the literature. The exotic materials excelled the local ones in brix, pol%, total sugars% and purity. The exotic varieties: N100, Red-X, Hastings and N110 as well as the local Ankolib selections: AnkNyala and Ank36 were identified as having juice quality traits suitable for syrup production. The exotic varieties: BlueRibbon, KansasCollies and Brawley were identified for sugar (jaggery) production. It was concluded that interaction of variety x season and yield parameters for juice, grain and stover should be considered when determining the choice of the variety. Future research should focus on developing multi-purpose varieties capable for concurrent production of syrup/sugar, grain and stover.

Studies of genetic parameters for productive traits in early maturing sugarcane clones and selection of superior clones

In an experiment, 16 early maturing sugarcane clones along with 2 checks were planted in Randomized Block Design with three replications during spring season 2016-17 at Dr. RPCAU, Pusa, Bihar to study the genetic parameters for productive traits in early maturing sugarcane clones and select the superior clones. The productive traits under studied were germination percentage at 45 & 90 days after planting (DAP), number of shoots at 120 & 240 DAP (000/ha), plant height at 150 days, 240 days (cm) & 300 days(at harvest), cane diameter (cm), fibre per cent, single cane weight (kg), number of millable cane (000/ha), juice quality traits viz, brix, pol & purity per cent at 8 & 10th months stage, respectively, CCS per cent, cane and sugar yield (tonne/ha) at harvest. Analysis of variance revealed that highly significant differences among the clones for all the productive traits under study. Maximum range was found for the trait plant height at 150 days followed by plant height at 240 days and cane yield. The phenotypic coefficient of variance was greater than genotypic coefficient of variance for all the traits. The traits namely, cane yield, sugar yield, single cane weight, number of shoots at 120 DAP, cane diameter and germination percentage at 90 DAP showed high heritability coupled with high genetic advance as per cent of mean. On the basis of per se performance of six productive traits the clones namely, CoP 15437, CoP 14436 CoP 11437, CoLk 12207 and CoP 12437 were selected as superior early maturing genotypes. All these clones can be utilized by the farmers as well as Sugar Factories to get high yield and high sugar in early phage of crushing and also its can be further utilization for sugarcane crop improvement programme.

Impact of Nano-Micronutrients as Foliar Fertilization on Yield and Quality of Sugar Beet Roots

Nanotechnology is one of the new technologies that entered almost all sides of our lives and were used in agriculture production. Nowadays, nanotechnology has expanded horizons in all fields of science. The study was aimed to investigate the response of yield and quality of sugar beet cv. Farida to foliar application of nano-microelements mixtures (Fe, Mn, Zn and B) with/without urea. Two field experiments were carried out in the experimental farm of the Etsa region in Fayoum Governorate, Egypt, during the two successive seasons (2015/16 and 2016/17). Fourteen treatments of four microelements as nano form sole and in combination with urea were applied and twelve traits were studied, growth traits, Juice quality traits and yield. showed that the best results were found when sugar beet plants were treated with nano-microelements 200 mg L-1+ urea 1% and was ranked as the first favorable treatments for root length and diameter, dry matter per plant as root, top and sugar yields in both seasons, followed by the treatment of Nano-microelements 160 mg L-1+urea 1% for most of the traits studied. From the obtained results, Conclusion: it could be concluded that the application of nano-microelements 200 mg L-1+urea 1% treatment for significantly produced higher yields associated with improving the quality traits of sugar beet and saving the plants' needs from micronutrient and nitrogen fertilizers if this fertilizer rate has been added in the form of nanoparticles.

Accumulation of Carboxylate and Aromatic Fluorophores by a Pest-Resistant Sweet Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] Genotype.

The sugary juice from sweet sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] stalks can be used to produce edible syrup, biofuels, or bio-based chemical feedstock. The current cultivars are highly susceptible to damage from sugarcane aphids [Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner)], but development of new cultivars is hindered by a lack of rapid analytical methods to screen for juice quality traits. The mechanism of aphid resistance/tolerance is also largely unknown, though the importance of defense phytochemicals has been suggested. The purpose of this study was to develop low-cost methods sensitive to fluorescent fingerprints in sweet sorghum juice, which is a complex mixture of saccharides, carboxylates, polyphenols, and metal ions. Of primary juice components, tryptophan and trans-aconitic acid were the highest intensity contributors to the overall fluorescence and UV/visible absorbance, respectively, while tyrosine and polyphenols contributed to a less extent. In a test of 24 sweet sorghum cultivars, tryptophan and tyrosine contents were the highest in the aphid-susceptible hybrid N109A x Chinese, while sucrose, trans-aconitic acid, and polyphenols were the highest in the resistant line No. 5 Gambela. This suggests that the accumulation of carboxylate (trans-aconitic acid) and polyphenolic secondary products in No. 5 Gambela may contribute to its aphid resistance, thus allowing it to maintain sucrose production. Rapid detection of these chemical signatures could be used to prescreen the breeding material for potential resistance and juice quality traits, without analytical separation required for metabolomics.

Phenotypic and Molecular Characterization of a Core Collection of Saccharum spontaneum L. in China

Saccharum spontaneum L. is widely used in developing new sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) cultivars due to its ability to transmit high vigor, ratooning ability, and increased tolerance to various biotic and abiotic stresses. Interspecific hybridization helps to broaden the genetic diversity of modern sugarcane cultivars, but there is a continual need to collect and characterize new sources of germplasm. The objective of this study was to evaluate a primary core collection of 92 S. spontaneum genotypes (82 were of Chinese origin) using 29 phenotypic traits and 15 simple sequence repeat markers. There was considerable morphological variation among the S. spontaneum genotypes. Principal component and heatmap analyses indicated that the genotypes could be separated into four groups using two major traits related to yield (stalk length, stalk diameter, and stalk weight) and juice quality traits (juice Brix, juice fiber, juice sucrose, and apparent purity). Genotypes collected from the same geographic location did not cluster together, so geography alone was not a good predictor of genotypic divergence in this collection. Phenotypic trait data alone failed to fully differentiate genotypes, but a combination of phenotypic and molecular data was useful in characterizing the genotypes. The phenotypic and molecular characterization of unexploited S. spontaneum germplasm will facilitate in the identification of potential parents for introgression and identification of high-yielding, disease-resistant cultivars, energy canes, and cultivars suited for abiotic stresses, thereby increasing the economic sustainability of sugarcane.

Genetic Variability and Heritability among Sugarcane Genotypes in Plant Crop for Some Agronomic Traits under Tropical Dry Climate of Ferké, Ivory Coast

Aims: The study aimed to determine the best performing cane genotypes among 29 clones tested under sprinkler irrigation, in comparison with a check variety (R579).&#x0D; Study Design: The experimental design used was a randomized complete block (RCB) with 30 cane genotypes in three replications. Every plot consisted of two dual rows of five meters with 0.5 and 1.90 m of inter-row spacing, i.e. 19 m² per plot and about 600 m² for the whole experiment.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: It was carried out on a commercial sugarcane plantation of Ferké 2 located in the northern part of the country, over 10 months as a late season crop from late May 2018 to late March 2019.&#x0D; Methodology: Over each micro-plot, data were collected at harvest from both dual rows consisted of millable stalk number/ha, cane yield, juice quality traits (sucrose, purity, and recoverable sucrose), fiber content, and damaged internodes by stem borer Eldana saccharina.&#x0D; Results: Based on sugar yields, seven cane genotypes were equivalent to the check variety R579 which gave 17.6 t/ha. Their yield performances ranged from 12.2 to 15.4 t of sugar/ha and from 134.2 to 160.8 t of cane/ha compared to 176.0 t/ha for the check. Higher heritability values ranging from 52 to 85% were observed in traits like sugar yield, juice purity, juice sucrose, recoverable sucrose, sucrose percent, fiber content and stem borer infestations. Differences between PCV and GCV for most traits were small, indicating high prospects for genetic progress through selection under conditions of this study.&#x0D; Conclusions: Findings obtained need to be confirmed over the 2019-20 cropping season in first ratoon crop to determine promising cane genotypes for the advanced selection stage.

Juice quality traits, potassium content, and 1H NMR derived metabolites of 14 pomegranate cultivars

Juice quality traits, potassium content, and 1H NMR derived metabolites of 14 pomegranate cultivars

Genetic Variability of Some Promising Sugarcane Varieties (Saccharum spp) under Harvesting Ages for Juice Quality Traits, Cane and Sugar Yield

Genetic Variability of Some Promising Sugarcane Varieties (Saccharum spp) under Harvesting Ages for Juice Quality Traits, Cane and Sugar Yield

Variation in juice quality traits of sugarcane genotypes under waterlogged condition in subtropical India

Variation in juice quality traits of sugarcane genotypes under waterlogged condition in subtropical India

English

An experiment was conducted at El- Mattana Agricultural Research Station, Luxor Governorate, to evaluate the yield and ratooning ability of 30 sugar cane genotypes (clones) along with the check cultivar GT 54/9 during three different crop cycles; plant cane (PC), first ratoon (FR), and second ratoon (SR) crops during 2011/2013 harvesting seasons. A randomized complete block design with three replicates was used. Results indicated that the evaluated genotypes varied significantly (P = 0.05) within and among crop cycles for stalk length, stalk diameter, stalk density, stalk weight, stalks number, cane yield, Brix, sucrose%, purity%, sugar recovery, and sugar yield. The evaluated genotypes differed significantly in their ratooning ability (RA) for all studied traits. Over evaluated genotypes, means of stalk diameter, stalk weight, stalk density and cane yield in plant cane were higher than those in the first and second ratoon crops, while means of Brix, sucrose, purity and sugar recovery percentages in the second ratoon were higher than those in plant cane and first ratoon crops. The relative influence of genotypic variance (d2g) in determining the phenotypic variance was primary to genotype by crop interaction variance (d2gc) and error variance (d2e) for all studied traits. Broad sense heritability (H%) estimates were high for cane yield and its components as well as sugar yield, since it ranged from 82.53 for cane yield to 95.06 for stalk length. High genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) estimates were for stalk weight (27.01), stalk density (39.36) and stalk number (32.57), while low estimates were for stalk length and juice quality traits (2.05 ≤ GCV% ≥ 7.99). Genotypic variance (d2g) was primary to error variance (d2e) for RA of cane yield and its components as well as sugar yield and juice quality traits. The highest heritability estimates of RA were for stalk weight (98.10%), stalk density (98.24%), stalk number (99.46%) and sugar yield with high genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) estimates for the same traits (22.78, 32.26, 36.41 and 27.26, respectively). Key words: Saccharum spp, yield performance, ratooning ability, broad-sense genetic variance, genotype by crop interaction variance (d2gc).