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Sugarcane cultivation in India dates back to 5000 BC, but its genetic improvement through breeding commenced only in the nineteenth century. A major breakthrough in yield improvement happened in 1918 with the release of the first interspecific hybrid cultivar Co 205. This cultivar replaced all earlier varieties and made interspecific hybrids the basis of future sugarcane improvement. The tri-specific hybrids {(S. officinarum × S. spontaneum) × S. barberi} developed at Indian Council of Agriculture Research-Sugarcane Breeding Institute (ICAR-SBI) as Coimbatore canes (Co canes) were popular in India and in several other countries as varieties or parents. Improved sugarcane varieties have made a major contribution in increasing yield from 30.9 t/ha in 1930 to 79.6 t/ha during 2018–2019 and sugar recovery from 8.96% to 11.01% in the same period. A national network of sugarcane varietal improvement programme involving 24 sugarcane centres covering the entire country now operates. This program is based on seedlings derived from an annual crossing program at the National Hybridization Garden at ICAR-SBI, Coimbatore. Varietal testing is conducted by 36 centres and has identified 124 varieties through All India Coordinated Research Programme (Sugarcane) for five agroclimatic zones in the country since 1982. During 2000 to 2019, 67 varieties were released for commercial cultivation. Among the present varieties, Co 0238, cultivated on 2.77 Mha, and Co 86032, on 0.89 Mha are the two predominant varieties in India. The pace of varietal improvement has remained high through studies on breeding and selection methodologies, expanding the genetic base and genetic diversity of parental pools for nuclear and cytoplasmic genes and targeted genetic improvement of important traits. This has improved precision and efficiency of breeding. Micropropagation has been a success for rapid multiplication and accelerated adoption of new varieties. Genetic improvement of sugarcane through conventional breeding is increasingly complemented by molecular research to improve biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, specifically for red rot and drought, and biomass, to make sugarcane a major source of both a sugar and renewable energy.

The glyoxalase pathway is a check point to monitor the elevation of methylglyoxal (MG) level in plants and is mediated by glyoxalase I (Gly I) and glyoxalase II (Gly II) enzymes in the presence of glutathione. Recent studies established the presence of unique DJ-1/PfpI domain containing protein named glyoxalase III (Gly III) in prokaryotes, involved in the detoxification of MG into D-lactic acid through a single step process. In the present study, eleven transgenic sugarcane events overexpressing EaGly III were assessed for salinity stress (100 mM and 200 mM NaCl) tolerance. Lipid peroxidation as well as cell membrane injury remained very minimal in all the transgenic events indicating reduced oxidative damage. Transgenic events exhibited significantly higher plant water status, gas exchange parameters, chlorophyll, carotenoid, and proline content, total soluble sugars, SOD and POD activity compared to wild type (WT) under salinity stress. Histological studies by taking the cross section showed a highly stable root system in transgenic events upon exposure to salinity stress. Results of the present study indicate that transgenic sugarcane events overexpressing EaGly III performed well and exhibited improved salinity stress tolerance.

A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of water stress on early and mid-late categories of Co-canes, i.e., [Co 98014, Co 0118, Co 0238, Co 07023, Co 15023 (early) and Co 0124, Co 05011, Co 11027, Co 15027, Co 12029 (mid-late)]. The experiment consists of stress treatments in main plot, i.e. (control and water stress) and ten Co-canes in subplot were laid out in factorial randomized block design with three replications. The water stress was imposed by withholding irrigation during formative phase. The observations recorded on morphological, physiological and yield attributes have suggested possible key characteristics of water stress tolerance. Leaf area and cane length exhibited 37.3% and 26.53% reduction under drought condition in comparison to the control. Co 05011 (78.77%) and Co 0238 (76.88%) showed/maintained better RWC under stress condition with mean reduction of 16.70% over Co-canes RWC. Water stress also caused reduction in gas exchange traits and the associated pigments by 56.57% in stomatal conductance (gS), 56.55% in photosynthetic rate (pN), 38.21% in transpiration rate (E), 28.01% in internal CO2 (Ci) and 16.86% in the chlorophyll content. Maximum water use efficiency (pN/E) under drought stress was recorded in Co 0238 (4.12) and Co 98014 (3.93). Total number of tillers, number of millable canes, single cane weight and cane yield were also reduced under water stress but Co 98014, Co 05011, Co 0238, Co 12029 and Co 15023 showed lesser reduction in these traits. Further, the cane yield data were subjected to different drought tolerance indices viz. stress susceptibility index, stress tolerance index and yield index. Results obtained from physiological and yield attributes as well as tolerance indices indicated that Co 98014, Co 05011, Co 0238 and Co 12029 had the potential to grow well under water stress conditions for sustaining sugarcane production and hence could be used as tolerant germplasm in crop improvement programs.

Sugarcane-derived biomass is a promising source of renewable energy to meet the growing demands for biofuel. Currently, modern sugarcane cultivars are unable to provide enough biomass due to their narrow genetic base and susceptibility to abiotic and biotic stresses. We have evaluated total of 23 hybrids derived from diverse genetic backgrounds of different Saccharum spp. and allied genera, one inbred and compared with commercial checks. Intergeneric hybrids (IGHs) KGS 99-100 and GU 04-432, produced significantly higher biomass (43.37 t ha−1 and 35.24 t ha−1, respectively) than commercial sugarcane have genes derived from Erianthus arundinaceus. Interspecific hybrids (ISHs) GU 07-3704 and 99-489, also produced significantly higher amounts of biomass (37.24 t ha−1 and 33.25 t ha−1, respectively) than commercial checks have genes from S. officinarum and S. spontaneum backgrounds. ISHs recorded significantly higher biomass yield, number of stalks and total dry matter percentage whereas, IGH group recorded significantly higher fibre percent. Furthermore, the clones resistant to red rot and sugarcane borers were identified. The estimated energy value for seven hybrid clones was found to be very high. Cluster analysis of genetic traits revealed two major clusters in traits improving biomass. Our study has revealed that the genetic diversity present in these hybrids could be used for improving biomass production and tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses in cultivated sugarcanes.

Drought is one of the most important environmental constraints limiting sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) production worldwide. It is estimated that nearly 60% of the total sugarcane area suffers from water stress. Using the important physiological markers, drought tolerance potential of elite sugarcane clones is evaluated every year at ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore to identify those suitable for cultivation in drought prone areas of India. The present study is the field evaluation of six sugarcane clones in the advanced varietal trial conducted during the year 2018–2019, wherein the relevance of physiological traits conferring adaptive tolerance to drought is reinstated. In the formative phase, drought stress resulted in an average reduction of 20.5, 36.5, 22.1, 5.9 and 4.7 per cent in shoot population, plant height, leaf area index, SPAD chlorophyll index and photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm) respectively. However, the clones Co 12009 and Co 12012 showed relatively better growth attributes both under control and drought stress which were on par with the resistant standards Co 86032 and Co 99004. Drought induced 12.6, 15.7, 23.5 and 32.9% reduction in internodal length, cane height, single cane weight and cane yield, however the clones Co 12009 and Co 12012 recorded comparatively higher cane yield of 86.6 and 94.1 tonnes/ha under drought condition, respectively. The clones Co 12009 and Co 12012 were rated as tolerant due to their ability to sustain cane yield and juice quality potential under drought stress, which might be attributed to retaining superior morphological and physiological traits.

Winter survival develops efficient tolerance mechanisms in plants by regulating cold-responsive and cold-regulated genes at the transcriptional level. Hence, an insight into the expression would provide the molecular function of these cold responsive genes. In this study, an uncharacterized gene encoding a cold-regulated (Cor413) protein identified from Saccharum spontaneum (wild relative species of sugarcane) low-temperature transcriptome with environmental adaptability is isolated and characterized. The full-length coding region possesses an open reading frame of 642 bp, which encodes a putative polypeptide of 213 amino acids of molecular weight 25.6 kDa and an isoelectric point (Pi) of 9.69. The SsCor413 sequence showed a high similarity to monocot Cor413 proteins comprising a WCOR413 domain. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that Cor413 protein has multispanning transmembrane helices along with highly conserved phosphorylation sites. String analysis suggested that SsCor413 is grouped with LEA and Rab proteins that are involved in freezing tolerance. Gene ontology analysis assigned the protein to terms such as “plasma membrane,” “cold acclimation,” and “response to cold.” Sub-cellular localization experiments of sugarcane callus and onion epidermal cells indicated the nuclear localized expression. Quantitative gene expression analysis indicated that the SsCor413 gene is up-regulated in leaf and root tissues of S. spontaneum under low temperature, salinity, and water deficit stress conditions. These results highlight the potential role of SsCor413 in abiotic stress tolerance, and this gene could be a new candidate for combating multiple stresses in sugarcane.

Sugarcane is a C4 and agro-industry-based crop with a high potential for biomass production. It serves as raw material for the production of sugar, ethanol, and electricity. Modern sugarcane varieties are derived from the interspecific and intergeneric hybridization between Saccharum officinarum, Saccharum spontaneum, and other wild relatives. Sugarcane breeding programmes are broadly categorized into germplasm collection and characterization, pre-breeding and genetic base-broadening, and varietal development programmes. The varietal identification through the classic breeding programme requires a minimum of 12–14 years. The precise phenotyping in sugarcane is extremely tedious due to the high propensity of lodging and suckering owing to the influence of environmental factors and crop management practices. This kind of phenotyping requires data from both plant crop and ratoon experiments conducted over locations and seasons. In this review, we explored the feasibility of genomic selection schemes for various breeding programmes in sugarcane. The genetic diversity analysis using genome-wide markers helps in the formation of core set germplasm representing the total genomic diversity present in the Saccharum gene bank. The genome-wide association studies and genomic prediction in the Saccharum gene bank are helpful to identify the complete genomic resources for cane yield, commercial cane sugar, tolerances to biotic and abiotic stresses, and other agronomic traits. The implementation of genomic selection in pre-breeding, genetic base-broadening programmes assist in precise introgression of specific genes and recurrent selection schemes enhance the higher frequency of favorable alleles in the population with a considerable reduction in breeding cycles and population size. The integration of environmental covariates and genomic prediction in multi-environment trials assists in the prediction of varietal performance for different agro-climatic zones. This review also directed its focus on enhancing the genetic gain over time, cost, and resource allocation at various stages of breeding programmes.

The low temperature (LT) conditions that prevail during winter in subtropical regions of India drastically affect the growth and yield of sugarcane. To identify low-temperature-tolerant agronomical acceptable genotypes for immediate deployment as donor parents in the subtropical sugarcane breeding program, 34 sugarcane clones belonging to 7 genetically diverse groups were evaluated under three crop environments, viz., spring planting, winter ratoon and spring ratoon, during 2015–2016 and 2016–2017. In the winter ratoon crop, commercial cane sugar and cane yield were reduced, whereas sucrose % was increased over the spring planted crop and the spring ratoon crop. The wild species and introgressed hybrid groups showed improvement for yield and quality traits in the winter ratoon crop, whereas commercial and near commercial groups showed reduction for these traits over the plant and spring ratoon crops. The tropical cultivars group was the poorest performer irrespective of the traits and crops. Yield per se under a stress environment was adjudged as the best selection criteria. For classification of sugarcane clones according to their low temperature tolerance, an index named winter tolerance index (WTI) is proposed which takes into account the winter sprouting index (WSI), winter growth and yield per se of the winter ratoon crop. The WTI had significant positive association with WSI, cane yield, millable cane population and cane length. As per the WTI ratings, the wild species of Saccharum complex and introgressed hybrid groups were rated as excellent WT clones. Subtropical commercial or advanced generation groups were poor WT clones, and tropical commercial cultivars group were winter sensitive clones. Clones such as AS04-635, AS04-1687, IK76-48, GU07-2276, IND00-1040, IND00-1038 and IND00-1039 had excellent tolerance, and GU07-3849, AS04-245, Co 0238, AS04-2097 and GU07-3774 had good WTI scores. The variety, Co 0238, may be continued for cultivation under LT regions with prophylactic measurers for red rot, while other clones listed above may be utilized in subtropical breeding programs.

Improvement of parental clones of Saccharum officinarum L. through repeated cycles of intra-specific hybridization and selection was undertaken at ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute (SBI), Coimbatore during 1987 to 1996. Thirty one clones selected from six polycrosses involving 13 parental clones of S. officinarum constituted cycle 1 (C1) population. Intermating among fourteen C1 clones followed by selection resulted in identification of 33 clones in cycle 2 (C2) population. Fourteen clones selected in C2 and C1 were inter-crossed. From the progenies, 50 clones were selected to constitute cycle 3 (C3) population. As the original parental clones of S. officinarum had low number of millable canes (NMC) and poor cane yield, in each cycle of selection emphasis was given to select progenies with high NMC, single cane weight and cane yield. The C1, C2 and C3 population, totalling 114 (designated as population-improved S. officinarum clones or PIO clones) were evaluated at ICAR-SBI Research Centre, Agali during 2015-16 and 2016-17 for NMC, single cane weight, cane yield per plot, brix%, sucrose% in juice and resistance to yellow leaf disease (YLD). Generation-wise improvement in the targeted traits was estimated. Significant improvement in NMC /ha (37.18 per cent), single cane weight (16.67 per cent) and cane yield (61.51 per cent) was achieved in two cycles of selection. Ten YLD-free improved clones with acceptable agronomic traits were identified for further use. They are: PIO 94-847, PIO 94-875, PIO 99-633, PIO 00-513, PIO 00-547, PIO 00-638, PIO 00-757, PIO 00-769, PIO 00-772 and PIO 00-840. These improved PIO clones would serve as new parental gene pool in the interspecific hybridization programmes and for diversifying the genetic base of commercial sugarcane varieties.

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is an important food, fodder and energy crop in India. Its production and productivity are mainly constrained due to water deficit stress during different growth stages. Of the root system architecture traits, deep rooting helps plants to avoid drought-induced stress by foraging moisture from deeper layers of soil. Hence, in this study, a novel drought-responsive DEEPER ROOTING 1 (DRO1) gene cloned from drought-tolerant Erianthus arundinaceus was characterized. The open reading frame of this gene is 765 bp that encodes for a single polypeptide of 254 amino acids. In silico analysis of DRO1 protein using bioinformatics tools revealed its size of 28.91 kDa with theoretical pI 5.39, instability index 67.57, aliphatic index 69.92 and GRAVY of -0.86. Subcellular localization by LocTree3 tool suggested that DRO1 protein expression is localized in the nucleus. The phylogenetic tree exhibited that DRO1 from Erianthus arundinaceus is closely associated with that of Sorghum bicolor and Triticum aestivum. Protein interaction network analysis showed DRO1 association with WOX11, which promotes the development of crown roots and ARL1 (Adventitious rootless1) required for adventitious root formation. Quantitative gene expression analysis indicated that the DRO1 gene is differentially upregulated in root tissue of E. arundinaceus and Saccharum spp. commercial hybrid under water deficit stress conditions. EaDRO1 gene can be a novel source for developing drought stress tolerant genotypes through genetic engineering approach.

The performance of 1454 Co canes developed during 1918 to 2017 spanning one hundred years was assessed for nine contributing characters of cane yield and juice quality to identify the best and poorest Co canes and their parentages examined to assess the relative merit of different breeding methods adopted for their development as well as the parents responsible for their development. The study identified trait specific superior and inferior Co canes as well as Co canes superior for multiple traits. All quality traits and cane yield parameters, other than number of millable canes had a preponderance of recent selections under the best group, indicating that the genetic gain achieved in a century of breeding has been substantial. The biparental crosses accounting to 89.79 % of total Co canes is the best breeding method and highlighted the importance of specific combining ability in sugarcane improvement. On the contrary, only eleven female parents and 17 male parents bred more than 50 % of the best Co canes indicated the relevance of general combining ability, thus demonstrating the importance of both additive and non-additive variances in sugarcane. A fair number of proven parents and crosses for specific traits as well as for simultaneous enhancement of multitraits were identified offering the breeder an option to choose the parental combinations guided by the per se performance as well as their breeding value. The genetic gain achieved is being sustained with the addition of novel parental clones of diverse genetic background.

Sugarcane transgenic overexpressing EaGly III from Erianthus arundinaceus showed enhanced water deficit stress tolerance. Methylglyoxal (MG), an α-ketoaldehyde formed from either glycolysis or TCA cycle, is capable of causing total cellular damage via the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and nucleic acid degradation. Glyoxalase pathway is a ubiquitous pathway known for detoxification of MG, involving key enzymes glyoxalase I (Gly I) and glyoxalase II (Gly II). Recently, a novel and an additional enzyme in glyoxalase pathway, viz., glyoxalase III (Gly III), has been discovered which possesses DJ-1/PfpI domain recognized for detoxifying MG in a single step process without requirement of any coenzyme. In the present study, a Gly III gene isolated from Erianthus arundinaceus, a wild relative of sugarcane, overexpressed in commercially cultivated sugarcane hybrid Co 86032 was assessed for drought tolerance. Morphometric observations revealed that transgenic sugarcane overexpressing EaGly III acquired drought tolerance trait. Oxidative damage caused by triggering generation of ROS has been determined to be low in transgenic plants as compared to wild type (WT). Transgenics resulted in higher relative water content, chlorophyll content, gas exchange parameters, photosynthetic efficiency, proline content and soluble sugars upon water deficit stress. In addition, higher and stable level of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activities were observed along with minimal lipid peroxidation during drought stress signifying the tolerance mechanism exhibited by transgenic events. There was no significant structural change observed in the root anatomy of transgenic plants. Altogether, EaGly III gene could be considered as a potential candidate for conferring water deficit stress tolerance for sugarcane and other agricultural crops.

Plant nuclear factor (NF-Y) is a transcription activating factor, consisting of three subunits, and plays a key regulatory role in many stress-responsive mechanisms including drought and salinity stresses. NF-Ys function both as complex and individual subunits. Considering the importance of sugarcane as a commercial crop with high socio-economic importance and the crop being affected mostly by water deficit stress and salinity stress causing significant yield loss, nuclear transcriptional factor NF-YB2 was focused in this study. Plant nuclear factor subunit B2 from Erianthus arundinaceus (EaNF-YB2), a wild relative of sugarcane which is known for its drought and salinity stress tolerance, and commercial Saccharum hybrid Co 86032 (ShNF-YB2) was isolated and characterized. Both EaNF-YB2 and ShNF-YB2 genes are 543 bp long that encodes for a polypeptide of 180 amino acid residues. Comparison of EaNF-YB2 and ShNF-YB2 gene sequences revealed nucleotide substitutions at nine positions corresponding to three synonymous and six nonsynonymous amino acid substitutions that resulted in variations in physiochemical properties. However, multiple sequence alignment (MSA) of NF-YB2 proteins showed conservation of functionally important amino acid residues. In silico analysis revealed NF-YB2 to be a hydrophilic and intracellular protein, and EaNF-YB2 is thermally more stable than that of ShNF-YB2. Phylogenetic analysis suggested the lower rate of evolution of NF-YB2. Subcellular localization in sugarcane callus revealed NF-YB2 localization at nucleus that further evidenced it to be a transcription activation factor. Comparative RT-qPCR experiments showed a significantly higher level of NF-YB2 expression in E. arundinaceus when compared to that in the commercial Saccharum hybrid Co 86032 under drought and salinity stresses. Hence, EaNF-YB2 could be an ideal candidate gene, and its overexpression in sugarcane through genetic engineering approach might enhance tolerance to drought and salinity stresses.

A DESCRIPTION OF Co 11015 (ATULYA) A RECENTLY NOTIFIED SUGARCANE VARIETY FOR TAMIL NADU

Plant nuclear factor (NF-Y) is a transcription activating factor, consisting of three subunits, and plays a key regulatory role in many stress-responsive mechanisms including drought and salinity stresses. NF-Ys function both as complex and individual subunits. Considering the importance of sugarcane as a commercial crop with high socio-economic importance and the crop being affected mostly by water deficit stress and salinity stress causing significant yield loss, nuclear transcriptional factor NF-YB2 was focused in this study. Plant nuclear factor subunit B2 from Erianthus arundinaceus (EaNF-YB2), a wild relative of sugarcane which is known for its drought and salinity stress tolerance, and commercial Saccharum hybrid Co 86032 (ShNF-YB2) was isolated and characterized. Both EaNF-YB2 and ShNF-YB2 genes are 543 bp long that encodes for a polypeptide of 180 amino acid residues. Comparison of EaNF-YB2 and ShNF-YB2 gene sequences revealed nucleotide substitutions at nine positions corresponding to three synonymous and six nonsynonymous amino acid substitutions that resulted in variations in physiochemical properties. However, multiple sequence alignment (MSA) of NF-YB2 proteins showed conservation of functionally important amino acid residues. In silico analysis revealed NF-YB2 to be a hydrophilic and intracellular protein, and EaNF-YB2 is thermally more stable than that of ShNF-YB2. Phylogenetic analysis suggested the lower rate of evolution of NF-YB2. Subcellular localization in sugarcane callus revealed NF-YB2 localization at nucleus that further evidenced it to be a transcription activation factor. Comparative RT-qPCR experiments showed a significantly higher level of NF-YB2 expression in E. arundinaceus when compared to that in the commercial Saccharum hybrid Co 86032 under drought and salinity stresses. Hence, EaNF-YB2 could be an ideal candidate gene, and its overexpression in sugarcane through genetic engineering approach might enhance tolerance to drought and salinity stresses. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s13205-020-02295-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) crop is vulnerable to many abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, waterlogging, cold and high temperature due to climate change. Over the past few decades new breeding and genomic approaches have been used to enhance the genotypic performance under abiotic stress conditions. In sugarcane, introgression of genes from wild species and allied genera for abiotic stress tolerance traits plays a significant role in the development of several stress-tolerant varieties. Moreover, the genomics and transcriptomics approaches have helped to elucidate the key genes/TFs and pathways involved in abiotic stress tolerance in sugarcane. Several novel miRNAs families /proteins or regulatory elements that are responsible for drought, salinity, and cold tolerance have been identified through high-throughput sequencing. The existing sugarcane monoploid genome sequence information opens new gateways and opportunities for researchers to improve the desired traits through efficient genome editing tools, such as the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat-Cas (CRISPR/Cas) system. TALEN mediated mutations in a highly conserved region of the caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT) of sugarcane significantly reduces the lignin content in the cell wall which is amenable for biofuel production from lignocellulosic biomass. In this review, we focus on current breeding with genomic approaches and their substantial role in enhancing cane production under the abiotic stress conditions, which is expected to provide new insights to plant breeders and biotechnologists to modify their strategy in developing stress-tolerant sugarcane varieties, which can highlight the future demand of cane, bio-energy, and viability of sugar industries.

The whole world adores sugars and sweeteners, yet many people wonder whether eating of sugars affects the human health. The science of sugar has elaborately studied and lot of research was done to know about myth and reality of sugar consumption. Misperception prevails on glucose and fructose-containing sweeteners and therefore, doubts related to metabolic properties of simple sugars and confusion related to various definitions for mentioning added sugar need to be clarified. General belief on sugar and components weakens the nutrient availability of diet is inconclusive. The sugar uptake up to 25% of the total caloric need is accepted by the US dietic association. A food safety guideline of Europe says that vouched patterns of food intake are more important than fixing maximum limit for consumption. The relation between sugar intake and obesity is debatable. The research findings argue that magnitude of the glycaemic index does not correlate with body weight and basically, added sugars alone are not responsible for increase in body mass index. Generally, well-being groups, health experts and dieticians divided in their views on intake of sweeteners and beverages as integral portion of their stable food for a longevity and healthy lifestyle. Therefore, the conflicting views and findings regarding sugar and health profile need to be further explored. It is expected that new researches shall further explore the effects of sugar on human health and answer the important queries held around health value of sugars.

The study analyses the extent, pattern and degree of spatial integration of sugar markets in India, as well as relationship of white sugar export prices of India and global market. The pattern and degree of integration were assessed by testing for the existence of the law of one price (LOOP) and ascertaining the speed of adjustment towards long-run equilibrium, using various tests by using cointegrated methods. Results indicated that only 4 of 11 sugar markets are cointegrated. The supply of sugar appears to be the most important factor shaping the long-run behaviour of its price levels in India. No single market is found to be the price leader. The prices of sugar exported by India to the global market were not cointegrated and did not conform to LOOP. Decontrolling of sugar sector from the clutches of monthly release mechanism plays an insignificant role in determining the relationship of sugar prices in the global market. The study suggests sugar policy reforms, consistent export and import strategies and abolition of export quota are absolutely essential for market integration and convergence of prices in the domestic and global market.