This first issue for 2016 covers topics on cereals, melon, maize, rice, corn, sugarcane among others.
CH. PALACHAI1, P. SONGSRI1,2 and N. JONGRUNGKLANG1,2*
1Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
2Northeast Thailand Cane and Sugar Research Center, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
*Corresponding author’s email: nuntawootjrk(at)gmail.com
Email addresses of coauthors: patcharinso(at)kku.ac.th, chuleeporn_p(at)kkumail.com
Against the background of a changing climate, water logging is a major problem for sugarcane production and results in reduced productivity. Various sugarcane genotypes cultivated in waterlogged areas show different acclimations of yield component traits. Understanding such traits under these conditions could be useful in the selection of suitable sugarcane cultivars. Therefore, the objectives of this study was to evaluate cane yield and millable cane, stalk weight, stalk length, and sugar yield of 12 sugarcane varieties in upland (short water logging period) and lowland (long water logging period) areas. Yield, sugar yield, stalk length, stalk diameter, millable cane, and weight per stalk were measured at 12 months after planting. Under both conditions, the tested sugarcane genotypes were differed in terms of yield, millable cane, single stalk weight, stalk length, stalk diameter, and sugar yield. Long water logging periods induced cane yield reduction and decreased single stalk weight. KK3, Kps01-12, and TBy28-0941 showed consistently high productivity across short and long water logging conditions. A positive correlation between single stalk weight and cane yield was existed, and this trait could be used as criteria selection for high productive cultivars under flooding conditions. Millable stalk number could also be used as a surrogate trait under these conditions.
Key words: Single stalk weight, millable cane, stalk length, flooding, sugar yield
Key findings: The twelve sugarcane genotypes used in this study were significantly differed in terms of yield, yield components, and sugar yield under short-term and long-term water logging conditions. Long periods of water logging result in lower cane yield, sugar yield, single stalk weight and stalk length compared to those obtained under short-term water logging. Single stalk weight contributes to high cane yield and could be used as a selection characteristic for improving cane productivity under water-logged field conditions.