Evaluation of Some New Sugarcane Varieties for Yield and Yield Components under Coastal Climatic Conditions

Commercial sugarcane production entails the cultivation of varieties characterized with high cane yield content for specific agro-ecological conditions. A Field study was conducted at Ramisi area, Kwale county in the coastal lowlands of Kenya, during the 2015-2017 cropping seasons to evaluate the yield components and yield of seven sugarcane varieties; KEN 82-808, KEN 83-737, CO 945, CB 38-22, N14, D8484, CO 421 was used as control. The trial was laid out in a randomized complete block design and replicated 4 times. Significant differences (p<0.05) were observed among test varieties on parameters measured; stalk length, stalk diameter, number of millable cane, and fresh cane yield in both plant and ratoon crops. Plant cane recorded higher mean values on quantitative parameters investigated compared to ratoon crops. Varieties D8484 136.8 tons of cane per hectare (tha-1) 39% and CO 945 (130.9 tha-1) 10% yielded higher than control CO 421 (119.4tha-1) in plant crop, while CO 945 surpassed the yield of control in the ratoon crop. In the pooled analysis, KEN 82-808 recorded longest stalk length of 270 cm which was statistically at par with control 241 cm, CB 38-22, CO945, and KEN 83-737, and the lowest stalk length 222.2 cm posted on N14. Mean stem diameter was significant amongst test varieties, highest 2.86cm (D 8484) that surpassed check 2.64 cm, which was significantly at par with CO 945 and CB 38-22 while the lowest diameter 2.31 cm was on KEN 82-808. The response of varieties to millable cane was significant with variety N14 - 92.8 (000 ha-1) surpassing CO 421(control) 80.3 (000 ha-1) and lowest was 56.7 (000 ha-1) D 8484. Cane yield, CO 945 yielded the highest 118.7 tch surpassing check CO 421 at 108.4 tcha-1 and the lowest yield was 84.5 tch by KEN83-737.