Sugarcane Variety Trials in Puerto Rico, 1952-57

Abstract

The sugarcane variety trials performed by the Agricultural Experiment Station of the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, P.R., during the period 1952-57, involved 24 separate experiments and 51 crops. The following results are significant: 1. In the production of available 96° sugar per acre P.R. 980 was the outstanding variety of the Southern, Western, Northwestern, and Interior Areas of the Island. B. 37161 was first in the Eastern Area and in Caguas Valley, and it tied P.R. 980 in the North Central and B. 41227 in the Northeastern Areas of Puerto Rico. 2. P.R. 980 was first in 10 and B. 37161 in 6 of the 24 experimental sites in terms of tons of cane produced per acre. 3. The check varieties, M. 336, P.O.J. 2878, and P.R. 902 and 905, produced low yields in both tons of cane and of sugar per acre as compared with the leading varieties. 4. M. 336, P.R. 1016, M. 975, and P.P.Q.K. were the leading varieties in sucrose-percent-cane. 5. P.R. 980 and P.R. 1013 ranked first in tons of sugar produced per acre per month. 6. For agronomic evaluation, the leading varieties were ranked in a table in which consideration was given to such factors as germination, stooling, ratooning habit, girth, erectness, flowering, trashiness, and disease resistance.