CLONAL SELECTION STRATEGY IN SUGARCANE (SACCHARUM OFFICINARUM L.) BASED ON THE ASSOCIATION OF QUALITY TRAITS AND CANE YIELD.

Quality traits play an important role in sugarcane clonal selection programs. The present investigation was carried out to study the association of quality traits with cane yield to establish an appropriate selection strategy based on quality characters. Sixteen sugarcane genotypes comprising two check cultivars were studied at Sugar Crops Research Institute Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. Positive phenotypic and genotypic correlations were observed for all the traits with cane yield (t ha-1) except purity %. Similarly brix % and polarized sugar % showed highly significant and positive correlation with sugar recovery % at genotypic (0.66**, 0.74**) and phenotypic (0.67**, 0.79**) levels. Highly significant correlation of brix % with polarized sugar % at genotypic (1.00**) and phenotypic (0.95**) levels were observed. Path analysis showed that highest positive direct effect on cane yield (t ha-1) is exerted by sugar recovery % at genotypic (0.42) and phenotypic (1.94) levels. It is suggested that the quality parameters should be taken in to consideration in clonal selection program for evolving improved sugarcane genotypes. Moreover the genotypes (MS-92-CP-99, MS-2000-Ho-360, MS-2003-HS-274 and MS-91-CP-523) with high cane yield and sugar recovery should be evaluated further [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]