YIELD AND QUALITY IN RELATION TO SEEDING RATES OF SOME SUGAR CANE VARIETIES

This study was carried out in 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 seasons at Mallawi Agric. Res., Station, Minia Governorate, Egypt, to investigate find out the relative response in vegetative and qualitative characteristics of some commercial sugar cane varieties i.e. G.84-47, G.T.54-9 and Phil.8013 at three seeding rates (1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 drills) grown as a spring plant cane . The results showed that there were significant differences in stalk height and diameter, BRIX% , sucrose%, purity%, reducing sugars%, sugar recovery%, millable cane yieldand recoverable sugar yield of the studied sugar cane varieties in the two seasons and their combined, except recoverable sugar yield where the differences among varieties were insignificant in the two seasons and their combined. Meanwhile, there were significant differences in stalk height, stalk diameter, BRIX%, sucrose%, purity%, reducing sugars%, sugar recovery%, millable cane yieldand recoverable sugar yield/fed betweenthe three seeding rates in the two seasons and their combined, except purity% in the first season. The interaction between Phil8013 variety with 2.5 drills seeding rates well as G.T.54-9 and G.84-47 varieties with 2.0 drills seeding rate can be recommended under the Middle Egypt conditions (Minia Governorate) to produce the highest yield of millable cane and recoverable sugar yields/fed.