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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Canal Point, Florida » Sugarcane Field Station » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #151530
Title: YIELD COMPARISONS BETWEEN SUGARCANE PLANTINGS OF TISSUE CULTURE DERIVED AND HEAT-TREATED SEEDCANE AND CAMPARISONS BETWEEN VIRUS-FREE AND SUGARCANE YELLOW LEAF VIRUS INFECTED SUGARCANE

Author
item Comstock, Jack
item Miller, Jimmy

Submitted to: American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/20/2003
Publication Date: 1/15/2004
Citation: Comstock, J.C., Miller, J.D. Yield Comparisons: Desease-free tissue-culture versus bud-propagated sugarcane plant and healthy versus yellow leaf infectd plants. J. American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists 24:31-40.

Interpretive Summary: Tissue culture derived seedcane that is virus-free increased yield parameters: numbers of stalks, cane weight and sugar per plot. Sugarcane yields are reduced by sugarcane yellow leaf virus with cane weight and sugar loss per plot at 11 percent. The use of tissue culture derived seedcane as a standard disease control practice may increase sugarcane yield.

Technical Abstract: The yield parameters were determined for five CP-cultivars comparing tissue culture derived and heat-treated seedcane. The test was planted in 40 blocks, plots were 1 m long with 2 m separating plots. Rows were 1.6 m apart. Yield parameters (numbers of stalks, plot weight, % yield and kg sucrose per plot) were determined by taking 5 stalk bundles for weight and juice analysis and extrapolating their results based on total stalks per plot for the plant and first ratoon crops. The yield parameters (number of stalks, weight and sucrose per plot) for all cultivars combined and the five cultivars, CP 72-1210, CP 80-1827, CP 84-1198, CP 85-1832 and CP 89-2143, analyzed individually were significantly higher for the tissue culture derived plots over the plots planted with heat-treated seedcane at P ' 0.05 in the plant crop. The subsequent first ratoon crop, the number of stalks and plot weight of CP 72-1210, CP 84-1198 and CP 85-1382 were significantly higher at P' 0.05 for the tissue culture derived plots over the plots planted with heat-treated seedcane. Also in the first ratoon, the kg sucrose per plot was significantly higher for CP 72-1210 (P ' 0.10) and CP 84-1198 and CP 85-1382 (P ' 0.05) in the tissue culture derived plots. The number of stalks per plot of CP 89-2143 was also significantly higher at P ' 0.10 in the tissue culture plots. Results of CP 80-1827 in the first ratoon were opposite the other cultivars with plots derived from heat-treated seedcane having significantly higher yields (numbers of stalks and plot weight) than the plots planted with tissue culture derived seedcane, P ' 0.05. A second test was established by cutting seedcane from the tissue culture plots from the first experiment that were virus free and naturally infected with SCYLV using the same cultivars with 36 replications. Analyzing all cultivars combined, the plot weight and kg sugar per plot were significantly higher at P ' 0.05. The majority of the yield parameters were higher for the SCYLV-free plots for the individual cutivars. The only statistically significant differences were: kg sucrose per plot for CP 84-1198 and weight per plot for CP 89-2143, both at P ' 0.05 were higher for the SCYLV-free plots. Significant at P ' 0.10 were % yield for CP 72-1210, plot weight for CP 84-1198 and kg sucrose per plot for CP 89-2143 SCYLV-free plots. The results indicate a benefit from using tissue culture derived seedcane.