Evaluation of Sugarcane Genotypes Under Irrigation Based on Genetic Variations and Heritability for Agronomic Traits at Early Selection Stage in Ferké, Ivory Coast

Abstract

The objective of the study was to determine the best performing sugarcane genotypes tested at early selection stage under sprinkler irrigation, in comparison with a check variety (R579). The experiment was designed following a randomized complete block (RCB) with 21 cane genotypes in three replications. Each 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 6,000 m2 for the whole experiment. It was carried out on a commercial sugarcane plantation of Ferke 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, 2016 to November 15, 2018. Over each micro-plot, data based on different agro-morphological traits were collected at harvest from three central dual rows. The study showed that most relevant traits in genotype clustering were related to juice quality (recoverable sucrose, sucrose content, purity), yields and yield components (millable stalk number/ha, stalk height, stalk diameter, internode number). Based on sugar yields, four genotypes equivalent to the check (R579), namely KQ228, R97-6177, R99-4064 and KQ236, were found promising for the next advanced selection stage with, respectively, 19.2, 17.7, 17.3 and 16.9 t sugar/ha. Their cane yield performances ranged from 147.7 to 170.8 t/ha compared to 170.7 for the check and belong to 3 clusters genotypes over the eight determined. Not only sugar yield, but also flowering rate, stem borer infestation rate and number of tillers per hectare were found as the most relevant agro-morphological traits in the genetic variation of sugarcane genotypes tested.