ARS | Publication request: HoCP 04-838 – A new sugarcane variety for Louisiana

Submitted to: American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: April 10, 2012
Publication Date: July 15, 2012
Citation: Hale, A.L., White, W.H., Dufrene Jr, E.O., Tew, T.L., Grisham, M.P., Pan, Y., Miller, J.D. 2012. HoCP 04-838 – A new sugarcane variety for Louisiana. Journal of the American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists. 32:84.Available: http://www.assct.org/. Also published in Sugar Journal. 75(1):17-18.

Technical Abstract: HoCP 04-838 was released to the Louisiana sugar industry on May 3, 2011 by the Agricultural Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture in cooperation with the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, and the American Sugar Cane League of the U.S.A., Inc. HoCP 04-838 resulted from a cross between HoCP 85-845 and LCP 85-384 which was made at Canal Point, Florida (CP) in 1998. Seedlings from the cross were planted in the field in April 2000, and the variety was originally selected, as a seedling, in 2001 in Houma, LA (Ho). In 2004, the variety was given its permanent varietal designation and was advanced to off-station testing. HoCP 04-838 has yields comparable to HoCP 96-540, the most prominent sugarcane variety currently grown in Louisiana. The two varieties were compared in 31 plant-cane, 21 first-ratoon, and 11 second-ratoon outfield evaluations. When averaged across all crops, HoCP 04-838 had a higher stalk population than HoCP 96-540, but lower individual stalk weights. In plant cane, sugar per hectare (10,765 vs. 10,093 kg) and cane per hectare (78.4 vs. 73.2 Mg) were significantly higher in HoCP 04-838 than in HoCP 96-540, but it did not differ in the first- and second-ratoon crops. No significant differences were found between the two varieties in sugar per Mg cane in the plant-cane or first-ratoon crop, but HoCP 04-838 had higher sucrose content than HoCP 96-540 in the second ratoon (128 vs. 121 kg/Mg). Fiber levels from 44 evaluations averaged 138 g per kg for HoCP 04-838, which is 16% and 14% higher than those found in HoCP 96-540 and L 99-226, respectively. Although the levels are higher it is thought to be acceptable to Louisiana sugarcane millers. The variety is less prone to lodging than most commercially released sugarcane varieties in Louisiana; therefore sediment levels of delivered cane to the processors should be lower. HoCP 04-838 is resistant to smut caused by Ustilago scitaminea and brown rust caused by Puccinia melanocephala. It is moderately resistant to leaf scald caused by Xanthamonas albilineans and resistant to ratoon stunt caused by Leifsonia xyil subsp. xyli. HoCP 04-838 is also considered resistant to the sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis F. The variety shows only a slight response to glyphosate ripener application. A distinguishing trait of the variety is that it is one of the most cold tolerant varieties ever released from the Louisiana variety development program.