44. Volume 15- Number 2 - IP Australia

PLANT VARIETIES JOURNAL 2002 VOL 15 NO. 2
diameter of longest internode central and dissecting bud
medium with mean approximately 28.9mm (range 22.3 to
34.0mm), shape bobbin to concave-convex, cross-section
round, colour of dewaxed internode exposed to sun yellowgreen
RHS 144A and 146C, unexposed colour yellowgreen
RHS 153D and greyed-yellow RHS 160B, waxiness
medium, wax band distinct and width medium, expression
of zigzag alignment weak to medium, growth cracks very
few, cork cracks very few. Bud groove: absent. Node: width
of root band on bud side narrow (mean 6.9mm), bud
prominence medium, bud shape round to horizontal oval
with position of base fused to leaf scar, bud tip in relation to
growth ring below to level, bud width excluding wings
wide, bud wing width medium, leaf scar medium
prominence and oblique descending towards bud, growth
ring flush to swollen. Leaf: lamina length of TVD leaf
medium with mean approximately 1.51m (range 1.32 to
1.68m), width medium to wide with mean approximately
46.7mm (range 34.3 to 53.5mm) at longitudinal midpoint
and bent near tip in attitude, midrib width of lamina at
longitudinal midpoint medium to wide with mean 4.7mm
(range 3.4 to 5.4mm), ratio of lamina width/midrib width
low with mean approximately 10.1 (range 7.5 to 14.5). Leaf
sheath: length of leaf sheath of TVD leaf long with mean
length approximately 32.9cm (range 25.0 to 36.0cm),
adherence of sheaths of senescent leaves to culm medium to
strong, density of hairs on abaxial leaf sheath surface
(Group 57) very sparse and length very short. Ligule: shape
crescentiform and wide at midrib section, density of cilia
along the free margin of ligule (Group 61) very sparse and
length very short. Auricles: prominence inconspicuous to
medium, asymmetrical, shape of inner or underlapping
auricle deltoid and size small to medium, shape of outer or
overlapping auricle transitional. Inflorescence: open
panicle. Flowering: discontinuous. Seed or fruit: caryopsis.
Disease resistance: highly resistant to Leaf Scald
(Xanthomonas albilineans (Ashby) Dowson), resistant to
Pachymetra Root Rot. Other characteristics: fibre quantity
and quality are acceptable for milling purposes (impact
reading 0.54, shear strength 34, short fibre 52%). In
addition, ‘Q201’ was uniquely identified by DNA
fingerprinting using microsatellite markers, and did not
match any other current sugarcane DNA profile.
Origin and Breeding Controlled pollination: seed parent
‘82N218’ x pollen parent ‘Q121’ in a planned breeding
program at Meringa (Gordonvale), QLD. ‘Q201’ is highly
resistant to Leaf Scald (score 2) and resistant to Pachymetra
Root Rot (score 3) while ‘82N218’ is very highly
susceptible to Leaf Scald (score 9) and intermediate to
susceptible to Pachymetra Root Rot (score 6) and ‘Q121’ is
very highly resistant to Leaf Scald (score 1) and highly
susceptible to Pachymetra Root Rot (score 8). ‘Q201’ has
been evaluated and selected by BSES in yield trials on the
Meringa Sugar Experiment Station at Gordonvale and sites
within the sugarcane growing area of the Northern region.
Standard commercial varieties were also included in the
trials for comparative purposes. Selection criteria: cane
yield, ccs, and sugar yield have been the main selection
criteria. In addition, ‘Q201’ was specifically selected for its
low propensity to sucker and its erect growth habit. Disease
resistance screening was conducted at the pathology farm
(Eight Mile Plains) and in the Tully glasshouse.
Propagation: after an initial seedling stage (using seed from
the cross), all subsequent stages have involved vegetative
propagation. Breeder:
Stations. QLD.
Bureau of Sugar Experiment
Choice of Comparators ‘Q186’ A and ‘Q187’ A were
chosen, as they are the most similar varieties of common
knowledge grown in the Northern region. Together, these
varieties accounted for about 0.7% (75,000 t) of the
Northern region crop in 2001. ‘Q121’ also was included as
the pollen parent. The seed parent was not included as a
comparator as it has been discarded from the parent
collection. However, the seed parent could be distinguished
from the candidate variety by the disease resistance scores
as mentioned above.
Comparative Trial Location: conducted at Meringa Sugar
Experiment Station (17º 12′ South, 145º 45′ East),
Gordonvale, QLD. The trial was planted 27 Jul 2000 and
harvested in Aug 2001. DUS data were recorded in mid
May 2001. Conditions: clones were propagated from
vegetative cuttings and grown under field conditions. Soil
type: Clifton. Watering regime: Rainfed. Chemicals:
fungicide Shirtan was applied at 400ml per hectare at
planting. Stomp (4L/ha) and Atradex (2.25kg/ha) were
applied one week after planting to control weeds. Diurex
(4kg/ha) also was applied on 20 Nov 2000 for additional
weed control. Fertilisers: DAP (120kg/ha) was applied at
planting. Zinc sulphate heptahydrate (44kg/ha) was applied
on 18 Nov 2000 and CK 50/50 (353kg/ha) was applied on
31 Nov 2000. Total nutrients were: N – 106kg/ha; P –
24kg/ha; K – 85kg/ha; Zn – 10kg/ha; S – 5kg/ha. Trial
design: clones were grown in a randomised complete block
design with three replicates. Plots were single row by 10m,
with 1.5m between rows. Measurements: taken from up to
15 stalks sampled randomly per plot.
Prior Applications and Sales
No prior application. First sold in Australian in May 2001.
Description: Dr George Piperidis, BSES, Indooroopilly, QLD.
Table 41 Saccharum varieties
‘Q201’ *‘Q121’ *‘Q186’ A ‘Q187’ A
____________________________________________________
GROWTH HABIT
erect semi-erect erect erect
____________________________________________________
LEAF CANOPY
light to light to light to medium
medium medium medium
____________________________________________________
SUCKERING
very few few very few very few
____________________________________________________
CULM HEIGHT (m) LSD (P≤0.01) = 0.46
mean 2.54 a 2.92 b 2.89 b 2.68 ab
std deviation 0.32 0.28 0.29 0.18
short medium medium short to
medium
____________________________________________________
ALIGNMENT OF INTERNODES
weakly to weakly to medium medium
medium medium zigzagged zigzagged
zigzagged zigzagged
76