Selection of high-yielding and stable sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) clones across diverse seasons using WAASB and MGIDI methods

Sugarcane is an important crop that significantly contributes to the production of sugar, jaggery, and bioethanol worldwide. One of the major challenges sugarcane breeders face is identifying superior clones that possess a combination of desirable agronomic and quality traits. This study evaluated the performance of 11 sugarcane clones across first plant, second plant and ratoon crops using the Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 growing seasons at the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Anakapalle. Mean yield, phenotypic stability, and the ideotype distance among the clones were assessed by utilizing weighted average absolute scores of the Best Linear Unbiased Predictor stability index and the multi-trait genotype ideotype distance index (MGIDI). The results indicated that two clones, G3 (2017A236), and G2 (2017A65), exhibited stable yield performance across seasons, as evidenced by the WAASB biplot and WAASBY scores. Based on the MGIDI index, clones G3 (2017A236) and G2 (2017A65) were identified as demonstrating consistent performance across eleven yield and quality traits. The strength-weakness design analysis suggested that selected clones are shows weak contribution to all adoptable traits. Hence, these clones are considered to near ideal plant type, indicating their potential as superior elite lines for utilization in breeding programs.