HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Tai, P.Y.P. Articles by Miller, J.D. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Tai, P.Y.P. Articles by Miller, J.D. Agricola Articles by Tai, P.Y.P. Articles by Miller, J.D.

Phenotypic Stability Analyses of Sugarcane Cultivar Performance Tests¹

Estimation of the magnitude of cultivar-environment interaction will provide information for developing more precise methods of selection. Cultivar trials of sugarcane (a complex interspecific hybrid of Saccharum spp.) in Florida were studied for cultivar x environment interaction and evaluated for the phenotypic stability by measuring regression coefficients (b) and mean square deviations from regression (S²_d. Stalk weight, Brix, percent sucrose, percent purity, kilogram of sugar per metric ton of cane (S/T), metric tons of cane per hectare (TCH), and metric tons of sugar per hectare (TSH) were studied, with emphasis on Brix, S/T, TCH, and TSH. The variance component estimates for cultivars, cultivars x locations, cultivars x years were significantly different from zero. Linear regression analyses indicate that the current check did not have good stability for TCH and TSH and was not a stable standard for evaluating new selections. This analysis also demonstrated that some selections were superior to the check in TCH and TSH. However, for the three most important characters (S/T, TCH and TSH), none of the 10 selections ranked at the top for mean performance with good stability. This study suggests that stability analysis can provide supplementary information on the performance of new sugarcane selections prior to release for commercial cultivation and increase the efficiency of cultivar development programs.

Key Words: Saccharum spp. • Cultivar selections • Stability • Adaptation • Cultivar x environment interactions • Linear regression • Simple and partial correlations

² Research geneticist, research agronomist (retired; present address: U.S. Sugar Corporation, Clewiston, FL 33440) and research geneticist respectively, USDA-ARS Sugarcane Field Stn., Canal Point, FL 33438.

³ Mathematic statistician, USDA-ARS, Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.

Received for publication November 30, 1981.