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Publication #SSAGR146

Sugarcane Cultivar Quick Reference Chart1

T. J. Schueneman, J. D. Miller, J. C. Comstock, and R. A. Gilbert2

Introduction

This Sugarcane Cultivar Quick Reference Chart (see Table 1) is based on the best information available at the time of publication. What became quickly apparent while constructing this chart is that the micro-environment where a cultivar is grown, time of planting, seasonal weather pattern, and the cultural practices that immediately preceded the planting have an important bearing on the performance of a cultivar. The ratings presented in this chart are comparisons against the standard cultivar, CP 70-1133, and are composites from several evaluations.

Before you select a new or different cultivar to be included in your cultivar mix, read the literature on that cultivar, talk to growers and research staff who have worked with it, and pay attention to how old the cultivar is and its disease problems. There are no fungicides available for field use on Florida sugarcane once it has been planted.

In order for a newly developed cultivar to be released for commercial production, it must exhibit good disease resistance. However, diseases mutate at an alarming rate, often overcoming plant resistance in two to ten years. A cultivar that has been released for ten years and is still resistant to rust (caused by Puccinia melanocephala H. Syd. and P. Syd.) probably does not have many years left in the commercial inventory. If a new cultivar has a fit in a grower's production plan at all, it should be planted as soon as possible after its release.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Barney Eiland, Gerald Powell, and Raul Perdomo from Florida Crystals Corporation, James Shine Jr. from Sugarcane Growers Cooperative of Florida, Roy Smith from Roth Farms, and Gregg Nuessly, Entomologist at the Everglades Research and Education Center for their contributions and reviews.

For further information on cultivar performance see the Annual Florida Sugarcane Variety Census prepared by Barry Glaz, USDA/ARS Sugarcane Field Station, 12990 N. Highway 441, Canal Point, Florida 33438.

Tables

Table 1. 

Sugarcane Cultivar Quick Reference Chart

CL

61-

620

CP

70-

1133

CP

72-

2086

CP

73-

1547

CP

78-

1628

CP

80-

1743

CP

80-

1827

CP

84-

1198

CP

88-

1762

CP

89-

2143

CP

92-

1213

CP

92-

1641

CP

92-

1666

CP

94-

1100

CP

94-

1340
Sugar per Ton M+ L+ M+ M M H L M+ M H L+ V L+ L+ M
Tons Cane per Acre M M+ M+ H M+ M+ M-H H H M+ M-H M M-H H M
Optimal Harvest Period G E-I I-G I+ I E I-G I+ E E-G E E G I I
Fiber M M L M M L+ L M H M M M M M M
Tillering M M+ M M H H L+ M H H M L H M M
Erectness M F M M F M T F F T M T F T T
Stubbling Ability H M+ M+ M+ H H H M+ H H M L+ M+ H M
Uprooting M L L+ L M L-M L+ M+ M L M L L+ U L+
Cold Tolerance M L H L H L M M L+ H L+ U L+ U U
Harvestability D M M+ M D+ J J D D J M J M J U
Soil Preference O A A S A,Tr O O O O O O A,Tr A A A
Water Tolerance M M+ P,2 H H P+ M M P M P+ M P+ P+ P+
Seed Cane Quality M M H M M M-H H M L-M H U M+ M H M+
Flowering Season G I G I I G E E G I+ E-N G I G G
Rust Susceptibility* Sus Sus Mr Mr S R Sus R Mr Ms R R R R R
Leaf Scald Suscept.* R R R R R Ms R R R R Ms R R Mr R
Smut Susceptibility* R Ms R Ms Ms R R R R R R R Ms R R
Mosaic Susceptibility* R Mr Sus R R R Ms R R Ms R R R R R
RSD Susceptibility** Sus Sus R Mr Mr Mr Sus Sus Sus Ms Mr R Mr Mr Ms
YLS Susceptibility*** Mr Sus Sus Sus Sus Sus Sus Sus Sus Sus Sus Sus Sus Sus Sus
Noteworthy Item**** 3,4 1 2,3 3 7 2,6 4 3,5 3,5 2,4,6 2,8 7 2 2 2

+ after a rating designates a value on the high side of the rating.

A=All soils E=Early season H=High L=Low O=Organic soil T=Erect

Tr=Transitional F=Lodges I=Mid season M=Medium P=Poor at planting U=Unknown

D=Difficult G=Late season J=Easy N=None S=Sand V=Variable (low to high)

*Disease Ratings: Sus=Susceptible; Ms=Moderately susceptible; Mr=Moderately resistant: R=Resistant.

**Ratoon Stunting Disease ***Yellow Leaf Syndrome

****Noteworthy Items:1=Higher tonnage but lower yields on sand soil. 5=Harvest from windward side (peel)

2=Avoid wet fields at planting due to increased risk of pineapple disease. 6=Rodents seem to prefer this cultivar

3=At harvest, leave higher stubble to ensure adequate regrowth. 7=Transitional soil standout

4=Yellow Sugarcane Aphids seem to prefer this cultivar. 8=Brittle Cane

Footnotes

1.

This document is SS AGR 146, one of a series of the Agronomy Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date June 2002. Reviewed April 2008. This publication is also a part of the Florida Sugarcane Handbook, an electronic publication of the Agronomy Department. For more information you may contact the editor of the Sugarcane Handbook, R. A. Gilbert (ragilber@ufl.edu). Please visit the EDIS Web site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2.

T. J. Schueneman, Extension Agent IV, Palm Beach County (Retired); J. D. Miller, Director, USDA-ARS Sugarcane Research Station, Canal Point, FL (Retired) and J. C. Comstock, Plant Pathologist, USDA-ARS Sugarcane Research Station, Canal Point, FL; R. A. Gilbert, assistant professor, Agronomy Department, Everglades Research and Education Center, Belle Glade, FL; Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.

The use of trade names in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information. UF/IFAS does not guarantee or warranty the products named, and references to them in this publication does not signify our approval to the exclusion of other products of suitable composition.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Millie Ferrer-Chancy, Interim Dean.