Genotypic Evaluation and Selection of Newly Developed Sugarcane Advanced Clones for Determination of High Cane Yield, Yield Components and Quality Parameters

US clones of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarumL.) play an important role in the variety development of sugarcane program of Pakistan. Comparative performance of twenty-five genotypes including check cultivars were evaluated for their cane yield, yield components and quality performance at Sugar Crops Research Institute, Mardan during 2012-13 in a semi-final trials. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with four replications. Significant differences among the clones were observed with regard to cane yield, yield components and sucrose percent contents quality.

Some of the clones i.e. S-9883-CSSG-312 followed by S-9883-CSSSG-706 succeeded by producing maximum average cane yield of 62.88 and 58.10 t ha^-1, respectively as compared to the check cultiavrs. While, the genotypes MS-2003-CP-313, MS-2003-CP-380, CP-88/1508, MS-2003-CP-373, MS-2003, S-9883-CSSG-288, S-9883-CSSG-614, S-9883-CSSG-676 S-9883-CSSG-376 and MS-2003-CP-381 were also identified high yielding lines as the average cane yield for these lines were recorded as 56.76, 56.76, 56.61, 56.54, 54.31, 54.20, 54.06, 53.92, 53.74 and 53.71 t ha^-1 respectively in comparison with Mardan-93 (52.30 t ha^-1) and CP-77/400 (53.11 t ha^-1). The rest of the lines though did not perform well for the selected traits however, had some of the desirable traits that could further be utilized for breeding purposes. Genotypes MS-2003-CP-387 (18.60%), S-9883-CSSG-676 (18.56%) and check variety Mardan-93 (18.60%) followed by MS-2003-CP-380 (18.17%) were best for sucrose content. The maximum cane yield and sucrose content guaranteed that the selected genotypes have potential to be released as new cultivars subject to their further wide adaptability study on multi location trials in subsequent years.