ISSN 2360-7971
Abstract
Accepted 3rd March, 2015
Field trials were conducted at Sugarcane Research Center, Guneid; for three consecutive seasons, 2007/08, 2008/09 and 2009/10. Nine sugarcane genotypes namely, B 70531; B 79136; BJ 7451; BJ 7938; BJ 82105; BT 74209; COC 671; DB 75159 and TUC 75-3; were evaluated for their field reaction to borer infestation under natural conditions; the varieties CO 527, CO 997 and CO 6806 were included as checks. The trial was laid in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The mean percentages of bored joints were 1.68, 1.7 and 1.3 for the plant cane (PC); first ratoon (R1) and second ratoon (R2) crops respectively. Reaction of the test genotypes to borer infestation was not significant in the PC. However, significant differences were observed in the R1 and R2 crop cycles. Cane height (CHt), cane thickness (CTh) and number of nodes (NON), were significant in all crop cycles of PC, R1 and R2; no significant differences were detected in NON of R2. The mean numbers of dead hearts determined per plot of 15m2 were 1.13, 1.49, 1.31, 0.84 and 1.05 for the successive counts from March to May; and significant differences were detected for sugar content (pol) and estimated recoverable sugar (ERS) of healthy and bored canes, other parameters exhibited no differences.
Keywords: Sugarcane, genotypes, borers, yield, natural conditions