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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Canal Point, Florida » Sugarcane Field Station » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #144642
Title: ESTIMATING THE FAMILY PERFORMANCE OF SUGARCANE CROSSES USING SMALL PROGENY TEST

Author
item Tai, Peter
item SHINE, JIM - SUGAR CANE GROWERS COOP
item Miller, Jimmy
item Edme, Serge

Submitted to: American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/31/2003
Publication Date: 7/31/2003
Citation: Tai, P.Y., Shine, J.M., Miller, J.D., Edme, S.J. ESTIMATING THE FAMILY PERFORMANCE OF SUGARCANE CROSSES USING SMALL PROGENY TEST. American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists. 23:61-70. 2003

Interpretive Summary: The selection scheme of the Canal Point sugarcane variety improvement program consists of five stages including Seedling, Stages I, II, II and IV. The selection scheme annually evaluate about 100,000 seedlings. Elimination of poor progenies could lead to a higher percent of elite clones in the next stage of selection. Samples from three crossing series were used to evaluate the effectiveness of a progeny assessment technique using a small number of seedlings per cross. Seedlings were transplanted to the field along with the regular seedling program. A selection rate and visual grade were obtained on each cross and forty seedlings were randomly selected for the measurement of stalk diameter, stalk number, stalk weight, and juice. Selected Stage I clones were planted in Stage II test for the measurement of juice quality. Multiple regression analyses were used to select the most reliable predictor of the progeny performance. Results indicate that the progeny assessment trial could detect some poor crosses that should not be planted. Weak correlations of various traits between Seedling and successive stages and a relatively poor prediction of performance could be due to the differences in plant maturity and environment conditions. The progeny test to assess the potential performance of seedling progeny should benefit the selection program by reducing the number of seedlings planted in the regular seedling program.

Technical Abstract: Improvement of sugarcane seedling populations by eliminating inferior progeny should increase the frequency of elite clones and increase selection efficiency. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a progeny testing technique with a small number of seedlings per cross. Approximately seventy seedlings per cross from the seed germination tests of 1987, 1988, and 1989 cross series were transplanted to the field along with the regular seedling program. Selection rate and visual grade were assessed to each cross. Forty seedlings of each progeny were randomly selected for the measurement of stalk diameter, stalk number, stalk weight, and juice quality. Selected Stage I clones were planted in Stage II test to measure juice quality. Multiple regression analyses were used to select the best predictive model for the progeny performance based on the selection rate. Results indicated that the frequency distribution of selection rates of all three cross series was markedly skewed toward higher performance in both small progeny test and regular seedling program. Stalk diameter was the most reliable predictor of selection rate in the regular seedling program. Information obtained from small progeny tests can help breeders selection superior crosses and increase the incidence of elite clones in regular seedling programs.