Elite sugarcane varieties to be evaluated in RP

Thirty elite sugarcane varieties from four Asian countries are now ready to be released in the Philippines for evaluation.

The varieties are presently being grown in a quarantine glasshouse at the UP Los Baños Institute of Plant Breeding (UPLB-IPB).

Of the varieties, nine are from Bangladesh, eight from Indonesia, seven from Thailand, and six from Malaysia. Ten from Australia are also being grown at the UPLB-IPB quarantine glasshouse but not yet ready for field evaluation in the country.

From the glasshouse, the varieties will be taken to Guimaras for propagation and further observation. Only disease-free plants will be released for field evaluation.

Starting this October, these varieties will be tested in several locations across the country to determine their ecological adaptations and performance under Philippine conditions.

The scientific activity is a component of the project on Sugarcane Variety Improvement in South East Asia funded by the Common Fund for Commodities.

With the Philippine Sugar Institute (PHILSURIN) as its executing agency, the project aims to increase productivity and help long-term competitiveness of sugarcane in Southeast Asia through the development, dissemination, and adoption of high-yielding, pest-resistant, and ecologically adapted sugarcane varieties.

The UPLB-IPB Plant Pathology Laboratory is responsible for the quarantine, disease detection, and diagnosis of the introduced varieties. – Rudy A. Fernandez