Screening of Promising Sugarcane Somaclones for Agronomic Traits, and Smut Resistance Using PCR Amplification of Inter Transcribed Region (ITS) of Sporisorium scitaminae

Genetic improvement of sugarcane variety CoC 671 was carried out through somaclonal variation. The somaclones were obtained by developing callus on 0.8M EMS and 13.57M 2–4.D containing medium. All the 310 regenerated plants were hardened in green house and planted in field for preliminary selection. On the basis of biometric and biochemical parameters 17 somaclones were evaluated in rod row trial and then for smut resistance supplementing with smut inoculum and detection by PCR. The somaclonal variants TC 906 was resistant and TC 922 was moderately resistant to smut. Somaclone TC 922 (2.17 kg, 165 t/ha, 3.34 cm) and TC 906 (2.07 kg, 144.11 t/ha, 3.25 cm) were superior in single cane weight, cane yield and cane diameter over their donor CoC 671 (1.72 kg, 128 t/ha, 2.74 cm). The morphological variations viz. stem colour, internodal alignment, internodal waxiness and leaf width were distinct and stable. The present study reports beneficial traits of the somaclones derived from CoC 671 and their field performance, especially for smut resistance and yield traits and early maturity.