Agro-physiological characteristics underlying the sucrose accumulation pattern of early and late varieties
| MSI99P3289 | |
| Nayamuth, A. R. Cheeroo-Nayamuth, B. F. Soopramanien, G. C. | |
| Agro-physiological characteristics underlying the sucrose accumulation pattern of early and late varieties | |
| Periodical article | |
| 2000 | |
| Proc. S. Afr. Sug. Technol. Ass. | |
| 73: 157-163 | |
| En | |
| En | |
| In Mauritius, sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) is harvested between June and November. The first crops harvested have low sucrose contents and juice purities, which result in low milling efficiencies. In order to improve the selection of varieties with higher sucrose contents for the start of the crop seson, a better understanding of sucrose accumulation is necessary. A large scale trial was therefore implemented under non-limiting water and nutrient conditions to study sucrose accumulation with respect to the crop's agronomic and physiological characteristics. The results showed that the early variety differed agronomically and physiologically from the late variety. The early variety produced fewer tillers and had an earlier formation of stalks. A higher number of shorter internodes with smaller leaves were produced in the early variety. This resulted in a lower leaf area index (LA(), a less dense canopy and reduced light interception. The early variety also exhibited a more efficient partitioning of above-ground dry matter into cane as well as into sucrose. This was associated with lower levels of reducing sugars and a lower reducing sugar to sucrose ratio. The early variety accumulated higher amounts of cane and sucrose at the onset of winter, in about May. After may, the late variety had higher rates of cane and sucrose accumulation. It was concluded that sucrose accumulation was more genetically determined in the early variety. Selection procedures may therefore need to be adjusted so that varieties with early sucrose accumulation are not rejected because of comparatively low cane and sucrose yields, if selection takes place later in the harvest season. | |
| SUGARCANE RIPENING Physiological characters sucrose accumulation Earliness | |
| MAURITIUS | |
| Sugarcane: Physiology | |
| Physiology and development | |
| 1999-11-17 | |
| En | |
| MSIRI | |
| LIST | |
| PHYSIOL LRD |