Evaluation of sugarcane genotypes with respect to sucrose yield across three crop cycles using GGE biplot analysis

Authors: Momotaz, Aliya; MCCORD, PER - Washington State University; DAVIDSON, WAYNE - Florida Sugarcane League; Zhao, Duli; BALTAZAR, MIGUEL - Florida Sugarcane League; ARBELO COTO, ORLANDO - University Of Florida; SANDHU, HARDEV - University Of Florida

Submitted to: Experimental Agriculture
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2021
Publication Date: 8/11/2021
Citation: Momotaz, A., Mccord, P.H., Davidson, W.R., Zhao, D., Baltazar, M., Arbelo Coto, O., Sandhu, H.S. 2021. Evaluation of sugarcane genotypes with respect to sucrose yield across three crop cycles using GGE biplot analysis. Experimental Agriculture. 57(3): 203-215. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479721000144.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479721000144

Interpretive Summary: Sugar yield is a complex trait in nature which depends on a number of other agronomic traits, i.e. stalk weight and stalk numbers that comprise cane yield. This trait is highly influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Genotype by environment interaction (GEI) reduces the performance of quantitative traits in sugarcane across the diverse environments. It is important to study the effect of environment and their interaction with genotypes. Our objective was to find superior Canal Point (CP) sugarcane varieties by incorporating environments. Thirteen CP sugarcane clones were evaluated at five different environments (locations) with three crops (plant cane, first ratoon, and second ratoon) in the Florida muck soils. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with six replications in each location. Data were analyzed using the additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) and the genotype plus genotype-by-environment interaction (GGE) methods. Both analyses of variance for sugar yield showed significant differences for genotype, environment, and genotype-environment interaction. According to GGE biplots, CP12-1417 was superior clone in sugar yield across all crop cycles among 13 genotypes tested. Both AMMI and GGE biplots are powerful tools for visual comparison of mitigating the confounding effects of genotype × environment to identify superior clones in sugarcane breeding programs.

Technical Abstract: The experiment was carried out in three crop cycles as plant cane, first ratoon, and second ratoon at five locations on Florida muck soils (histosols) to evaluate the genotypes, test locations, and identify the superior and stable sugarcane genotypes. There were 13 sugarcane genotypes along with three commercial cultivars as checks included in this study. Five locations were considered as environments to analyze genotype-by-environment interaction (GEI) in 13 genotypes in three crop cycles. The sugarcane genotypes were planted in a randomized complete block design with six replications at each location. Performance was measured by the traits of sucrose yield tons per hectare (SY) and commercial recoverable sugar (CRS) in kilograms of sugar per ton of cane. The data were subjected to genotype main effects and genotype × environment interaction (GGE) analyses. The results showed significant effects for genotype (G), locations (E), and G × E (genotype × environment interaction) with respect to both traits. The GGE biplot analysis showed that the sugarcane genotype CP 12-1417 was high yielding and stable in terms of sucrose yield. The most discriminating and non-representative locations were Knight Farm (KN) for both SY and CRS. For sucrose yield only, the most discriminating and non-representative locations were Knight Farm (KN), Duda and Sons, Inc. USSC, Area 5 (A5), and Okeelanta (OK).