EFFECT OF PHOTO INITIATION TREATMENTS ON FLOWERING, POLLEN VIABILITY AND SEED GERMINABILITY OF FOUR SUGARCANE CLONES

• Main Authors: Farrag F.B. Abu-Ellail, Bazeed D Mohamed
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Society for Sugarcane Research and Development 2020-06-01
• Series: Journal of Sugarcane Research
• Online Access: http://epubs.icar.org.in/ejournal/index.php/JSR/article/view/96305

The research reported here, was conducted during 2016 and 2017 at the breeding station of Sugar Crops Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Giza, Egypt (30° 0’ N latitude, 31° 12’ E longitude),to examine the response of three sugarcane clones (Co1129, IK76-99, and NCo339) and the commercial cultivar GT54-9, to four photo-initiation treatments of constant 12.5-h days of 15-, 21-, 30-, and 60-days length followed by a declination of 30 s/d to 11 h 30 min.. The four sugarcane clones varied considerably in their initiation response. None showed any flowering response to the 15-day treatment. However, they revealed differential responses regarding their flowering dates for the 21-, 30-, and 60-day photo-initiation treatments. Their flowering dates were delayed by increasing the number of initiation cycles. The cultivar GT54-9 responded only to the 21-day treatment. Co1129 responded best to the 30-day treatment with 50% flowering but produced no flowers in the 21-day treatment. IK76-99 and NCo339, with 50% flowering, responded best to the 30-day treatment. Increasing the length of the inductive cycle reduced pollen viability. This resulted in decreased seed germinability and germination speed. We suggest all germplasm be screened under different photo-initiation cycles to define and select parents for sugarcane breeding program so all cross combinations can be made among synchronized flowering parents.