Sugarcane Variety Trials in Puerto Rico, 1951-55

Abstract

Sugarcane variety trials performed by the Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, P. R., During the period 1951-55, involved 19 separate experiments and 33 crops. The following results are significant: 1. In the production of available 96° sugar per acre B. 37161 was the outstanding variety of East and North Central cane areas of the Island. P.R. 980 was the leading variety in the Northwest, West, South, and Interior of Puerto Rico. 2. B. 40105, B. 37172, B. 41227, H. 328560, and P.R. 975 all were among the leading producers in tons of sugar per acre. 3. The check varieties M. 336, P.O.J. 2878, and P.R. 902, ranked poorly in the trials as compared with the leading varieties in tons of sugar produced per acre. 4. In terms of tons of cane per acre B. 37161 and P.R. 980 were the two leading varieties for the entire Island, with H. 328560, B. 41227, and B. 37172 also showing favorable cane-tonnage figures. All check varieties did poorly in tons of cane per acre as compared to the leading variety. 5. The varieties were also ranked according to their production of sucrose-percent- cane. P.R. 975 and B. 4362 were first and second, respectively. These two varieties also produced higher cane tonnage than the favored commercial variety M. 336, which ranked third. 6. Finally, the varieties were ranked according to the tons of sugar per acre produced per month, and P.R. 980 ranked first. The first eight experimental varieties produced over 0.60 ton of sugar per acre per month as compared with all commercial varieties, except B. 37161, which produced below 0.50 ton of sugar per acre per month. 7. The reluctance of Puerto Rican farmers to adopt the new cane varieties tested and proven superior to the old commercial varieties is very unprofitable to them. Yields are cited which show that if the land now used to grow the older cane varieties were planted to the new leading experimentally tested varieties discussed in this article, the present sugar crop in Puerto Rico could be produced on about two-thirds of the present acreage. This would release over 100,000 acres for other agricultural uses.