Characteristics of Thai sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) cultivars and potential for utilization | คุณลักษณะของเชื้อพันธุกรรมอ้อยพันธุ์ไทยและแนวทางการนำไปใช้ประโยชน์

Thai sugarcane clones are continuously developed to obtain new varieties from old outstanding clones. Most of good parents still gave good progenies. However, a few varieties are widely popular. According to this reason, the features of the 95 clones from recommended varieties, elite clones and land race clones were studied to find outgood guidelines to utilize them to improve yield and high sugar content of new sugarcane clones. Each sugarcane clone was planted in 1 row per 5 meter long, and distance between row was 1.4 meters (harvest 3 meters) during April 2011 to April 2012 at Thaphra site, Khon Kaen Field Crops Research Center. Agronomical and botanical traits were recorded in every stage until the harvest. The results showed that more than 50% of clones, cane weight per square meter were distribute in 3-9 kg per square meter. Stem height at 4 months had a relation with stalk length atharvest and stalk length had a relation with cane weight. Brix at 8 months were ranged between 14 to 21%. Moreover, most of clones had brix value 16 to 18%. At 10 months, most of them were increase in brix values over 20%. The clone that provided > 22% brix value are 88-2-069, LK92-11, 7-35/7 and Khon Kaen 3. At harvesting (12 months), CCS value is dispersive between 4.0-16.9%. The clones providing CCS value >15% and producing consistently high brix are K90-54 and K84-200/SP50. Clone 88-2-069 showed higher brix from 7-12 months and CCS at harvest was13.5 %. The flowering of 62 clones were found at November-December and the 33 clones were no flower. Most of the outstanding clones came from the good parents, thus this study suggests 3 ways for utilization to breed new sugarcane clone including 1) the good clones are used as tester parent, 2) backcross to good parents, and 3) crossingbetween good clones