Qualitative and Quantitative Performance of Selected Exotic Sugarcane (Saccharum Officinarum L.) Varieties in Nigerian Southern Ecologies.
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Date
2022
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Faculty of Agriculture, University of Abuja, Nigeria
Abstract
Nigeria currently relies on the importation of over 95% of her sugar requirement due to a combination of
factors which include low installed capacity of the existing sugar companies, inefficient factory operation
as well as the dependent on the use of old and low yielding sugarcane varieties. One of the ways to
ameliorate this situation is the use of high yielding and adapted sugarcane varieties. To this end, 28 of the
sugarcane varieties were evaluated for four cropping cycles (2013 - 2017) at two sites in Nigeria. The trials
were laid out as a randomized complete block design with four replicates. Each plot was 6 ridges of 10 m
long and 1.4 m between the rows. Three-eyed cane setts of 6-7 months old which were disease free were
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laid horizontally end-to-end. Data were collected from a net plot (60 m ) on brix, yield and yield
components and data were analysed. Identification of the top yielding varieties from each site based on
selection criterion (cane yield + acceptable brix, rank summation index (∑RSI) values for combination of
cane yield and brix as well as ∑RSI value for Kg-brix and cane quality parameters). Results showed
significant (p≤0.05) differences among the varieties for cane yield cane brix %, pol %, purity and expected
sugar recovery for the selected varieties. Three varieties were identified: B80689, Co9906 and CoC671
with mean yield of 77.99, 61.26 and 59.93 t/ha, respectively. The identified varieties had acceptable cane
brix ≥20 %, pol % of 18.00, purity of 90% and expected sugar recovery of 10.00 and above. These varieties
exhibited good quality traits and their genetic potential. There are therefore recommended to for adoption
by the sugarcane estates for cultivation in southern ecologies of Nigeria.
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Keywords
Sugarcane, summation index, ratoon crop, cane brix, sugar recovery, southern Nigeria