The reliability of refractometric field Brix measurements
Code (CO)MSI99P3259
Author (AU)Mamet, L. D.
Title - English (ET)The reliability of refractometric field Brix measurements
Document Type(DT)Periodical article
Date of publication (DP)1999
Series (SE)Int. Sug. J.
ISSN (SN)0020-8841
Source (SO)101: 464-468
Language of text (LT)En
Language of summaries (LS)En
Fr
Es
Abstract (AB)The preliminary stages of many sugar cane selection programmes throughout the world are based on the premise that refractometric field brix is a reliable estimate of sucrose content. This relationship is questioned in this paper. Data from two trials in Mauritius were used to study the stability of field Brix at three dates, the predictive value of field Brix for sucrose content at a later date, and the temporal repeatability of this criterion. The results clearly indicate that when field Brix measurements and laboratory analysis for pol percent cane are measured on the same sample, the relationship between the two parameters is very strong irrespective of variety, family or date of sampling (r2=0.70-0.90). When Brix is measured on standing cane and destructive samples are taken for laboratory analysis at another date (using a different sample from the same plot) the relationship weakens considerably but is till positive (r2=0.43-0.62). The interrelationships between field Brix measuremts at ten dates, from preharvest (April) to mid-season harvest (September), were also studied and the results indicate that there are large temporal differences in repeatability (r2=-0.03-0.08). It is concluded that the reliability of refractometric field brix as a predictor of sucrose content depends upon the method and the time of sampling for Brix.
Descriptors - English (DE)SUGARCANE
BREEDING
SELECTION
BRIX
SUCROSE CONTENT
REFRACTOMETRIC BRIX MEASUREMENT
Descriptors - Geographic (DG)MAURITIUS
Sort Key 1(K1)Cane breeding and genetics
Sort Key 2 (K2)Selection
Date record entered (DA)1999-10-27
Language of analysis (LA)En
Affiliation (AF)Mauritius Sugar Industry Research Institute, Plant Breeding Department, Réduit, MU
Processing status (PS)list
MSIRI Staff (MS)PB