Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Houma, Louisiana » Sugarcane Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #256716
Title: Notice of release of a high fiber sugarcane variety Ho 02-113

Author
item Hale, Anna

Submitted to: Sugar Bulletin
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2010
Publication Date: 7/20/2010
Citation: Hale, A.L. 2010. Notice of release of a high fiber sugarcane variety Ho 02-113. Sugar Bulletin. 88(10):28-29.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service, Sugarcane Research Unit (SRU); the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station of the LSU Agricultural Center; and the American Sugar Cane League of the U.S.A, Inc., announce the release of a new high-fiber variety, Ho 02-113 to meet the needs of a cellulosic processing biorefinery. Ho 02-113 is derived from a cross made in 2001 between SES-234 (female Saccharum spontaneum parent) and LCP 85-384 (male parent). Testing has indicated that the variety is vigorous with high stalk population and good ratooning ability and because of its fiber content would be a better candidate variety for the production of bioenergy than commercial sugar cane varieties. The variety was evaluated in replicated tests at the Diamond W Ranch near Welsh, LA and the SRU’s Spanish Trail Farm near Schriever, LA in 2005. Plant-cane, first-, second-, and third-ratoon crops were harvested and compared to L 79-1002 for each location in 2006 through 2009, respectively. Yield components estimated included gross cane (tons cane/acre), Brix (%), Fiber (%), and the total solids per acre. The tons of solids per acre were broken down into soluble solids (Brix), insoluble solids (fiber), and total solids (Brix + Fiber). When data from the two locations were combined, Ho 02-113 performed as well as L 79-1002 (a=0.05) for all calculated yield parameters, but when the data were analyzed by location, Ho 02-113 was significantly higher yielding than L79-1002. Throughout the five years of testing, no signs of brown rust, smut, leaf scald, or mosaic were observed in this variety under natural field conditions. Field studies do not indicate that Ho 02-113 is susceptible to the sugarcane borer. The variety Ho 02-113 offers growers an alternative to other commercial energy cane varieties, such as L79-1002, as a dedicated feedstock for the production of biofuels.