Evaluation of sugarcane genotypes under different row spacing

The present study was carried out at El-Mattana Agricultural Research Station (Latitude of 25.17 o N and longitude of 32.33 o E), Luxor Governorate, Egypt during the 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 growing seasons to find out the suitable row spacing (80, 100 and 120 cm) on yield and quality of two promising sugarcane varieties viz. G.2003-47 and G.2003- 49 compared with the commercial variety (G.T. 54-9). The results indicated significant differences among tested genotypes in stalk height, cane yield in the plant cane and first ratoon crops, while stalk diameter and sugar yield exhibited significant differences only in the first ratoon. Row spacing had a significant effect on the number of millable cane / m 2 , cane and sugar yields /fed in the plant cane and first ratoon crops, while it had a significant effect on stalk height only in plant cane crop. The row spacing of 120 cm exerted the highest number of millable cane / m 2 , stalk height, and sugar yield in plant cane and first ratoon crops, as well as stalk diameter, cane yield, Brix, richness and reducing sugars in plant cane only. Moreover, the check cultivar recorded the highest mean value of sugar yield in the first ratoon crop, when planted at 120 cm row spacing. On the other hand, the 80 cm inter row-spacing gave the highest mean values of purity and sugar recovery% in both plant cane and first ratoon crops and Brix, sucrose and richness in first ratoon only. The significant linear effects were found for the number of millable cane / m 2 , stalk height, cane yield, sugar yield and reducing sugar with the rate of row spacing.