Scope for varietal improvement to extend the harvest season in Mauritius
| MSI11P4572 | |
| Mangar, M M Nayamuth, A R H Koonjah, S S Cheeroo-Nayamuth, B F | |
| Scope for varietal improvement to extend the harvest season in Mauritius | |
| periodical | |
| 2011 | |
| Proc. S. Afr. Sug. Technol. Ass. | |
| 84: 389-400 | |
| En | |
| EN | |
| In Mauritius, harvest extends from start-June to mid-December with low juice purity and low sucrose content early in the season. Extension of the harvest season within the centralisation of milling activities is exacerbating the situation. A study was implemented to further understand the physiological basis of ripening with the view of enhancing the breeding of better-performing genotypes for early season. This paper presents the outcome of the first to third ratoon crops of 16 contrasting varieties grown at Reduit (1500 mm rainfall) with supplementary irrigation to contain water stress and its resulting impact on dry matter partitioning. Based on the proven parameter pol percent dry matter of the cane portion (P percent CDM) early in the season (April), four variety types were identified, namely Early with a P percent CDM above 42 per cent , Intermediate-Early with P per cent CDM between 40 and 42 per cent , Intermediate-Late P per cent CDM between 30 and 40 per cent and Late P per cent CDM below 30 per cent . Compared to the late group, the early group tended to produce fewer tillers with smaller leaf area indices resulting in lower biomass accumulation potential. They, however, exhibited better partitioning efficiencies when allocating total biomass to cane as well as when allocating cane biomass to stored sucrose. The contrast between early and late varieties proves that varieties can be bred for both the early part as well as the late part of the harvest season, such that extension of the season with varieties combining yield and quality can be contemplated | |
| sugarcane ripening behaviour ripening physiology early harvest early ripening breeding | |
| Mauritius | |
| Sugarcane physiology | |
| Yield physiology | |
| 2011-09-01 | |
| EN | |
| LIB | |
| CAT | |
| PHYS |