Flowering synchronization in some sugarcane genotypes at various planting dates under natural environment

Abstract EN

Flowering is essential in any breeding programme, particularly in genetic introgression programmes in which flowering synchronism is required.

Due to changing weather conditions, the flowering vary in different planting dates with different conditions.

In this work, sixteen sugarcane genotypes from different countries were tested for flowering under natural environment of Sabahia Research Station, Alexandria, Egypt in different planting seasons viz: Autumn 30 October 2013/14/15 (plant cane) & 30 June 2015/16 (first ratoon) and Spring 30 March 2014/15 (plant cane) & 30 April 2015/16 (first ratoon) at El-Sabahia Research Station (31⁰ 12՝ N), Alexandria, Egypt.

It was observed that latitude, mean minimum and maximum temperature and length of day during flowering inductive phase (September and October) were within acceptable limits to favour the flowering in sugarcane.

However, flowering occurred in most of the cane genotypes under natural environment in autumn and spring seasons in both plant cane and first ratoon, but the time and percentage of flowered genotypes differed between them.

Data revealed that there were some genotypes that have the same full flowering date within each planting season, moreover some genotypes which had different dates of full flowering in the same planting season had the same date with each other in another different seasons in plant cane crop.

That means two or more genotypes can be synchronized in two different planting seasons.

Those genotypes which synchronized with each other can be easily crossed.

In general, the early stages of flowering in sugarcane germplasm under study commenced from November, but full flowering began during the month of December.

In the present study, some genotypes differed in the flowering dates in each planting season.

It's possible to make crossing between certain genotypes efficiently by manipulating the dates of planting.