Screening of Fifteen Sugarcane Genotypes under Irrigation based on Genetic Variations and Heritability for Agro-morphological Traits at Early Selection Stage in Ferké, Ivory Coast | Biomedgrid

The study aimed to determine the best performing early-season sugarcane genotypes tested at the first selection stage under sprinkler irrigation, in comparison with a check variety (R579). The experimental design used was a randomized complete block (RCB) with 17 cane genotypes in three replications. Every 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 about 5000 m² for the whole experiment. It was carried out on a commercial sugarcane plantation of Ferké 2 located in the northern part of the country, over two seasons (plant cane and first ratoon) as an early-season crop from November 18, 2015 to December 05, 2017. Over each micro-plot, data based on different agro-morphological traits were collected at harvest from three central dual rows. The study showed that based on sugar yields, six genotypes higher or equivalent to check varieties used, namely N47, R95-2202, ECU01, R97-0391, N49 and CP98-1029, were found promising for the next and final advanced selection stage, with respectively 20.3, 16.5, 15.2 , 14.2, 13.3 and 13.3 t sugar/ha. Their cane yield performances ranged from 115.8 to 160.8 t/ha compared to 160.4 and 134.0 for check varieties R579 and SP70-1006, respectively. Not only sugar yield, but also, recoverable sucrose, cane internode infestation rate and number of tillers per hectare were found as the most relevant agro-morphological traits in genetic variation of sugarcane genotypes tested in line of their higher broad sense heritability values