Emerging Sugarcane Abiotic Disorders under Subtropical Conditions: An Appraisal

By : Gulzar S Sanghera

Page No: 81-96

Abstract
Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is an important agro industrial cash crop, providing raw material for different sugar industries and plays crucial role in the economy of several countries. It requires optimum climatic conditions for economic crop production and causes reduced cane and sugar yields otherwise. Climate change especially temperature extremes either low or high causes abiotic disorders like cold / banded chlorosis and sunburn during initial and mid season crop establishment led to yield reduction in sugarcane by affecting its physiology, biochemistry and quality leading to poor agronomic produce in subtropical conditions. Low temperature during winter (December-January) for autumn planting and high temperature during summer (May-June) for spring planting also affects the germination percentage, seedling establishment and ratoonability of early harvested (Nov-Dec) crop. Several breeding and genomics based studies have been conducted to improve the sugarcane production under different stresses in this crop in many areas of the world. The studies on abiotic disorders caused by high and low temperature extremities and their mitigation strategies are scanty. An attempt has been made in this appraisal report to explore sugarcane clones/ cultivars that contribute to adaptation in era of climate change by discovering and introducing desirable genes for agronomic traits using basic breeding methodologies, physiological approaches and new technologies of molecular biology that can mitigate the negative effect of extreme temperature and improve sugarcane yields, productivity and sustainability.

Author :
Gulzar S Sanghera : PAU, Regional Research Station, Kapurthala, 144601, Punjab, India.
 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32381/JPSR.2021.37.01.11