Quantitative inheritance studies in sugar-cane. II. Correlations and predicted responses to selection

Abstract

Predicted responses to selection for a number of characters, and genotypic and phenotypic correlations between characters were studied in sugar-cane seedling populations. Predicted response from family selection was found to be much greater than from mass selection for all characters except Brix value. A selection system incorporating family selection for grade (phenotypic score) and mass selection for Brix value was proposed for further investigation. Many genotypic correlations between important characters were positive and quite high with the notable exception of the correlation between stalks per stool and weight per stalk, which was high and negative. Genotypic correlations between arrowing percentage (an undesirable character) and all other characters except stalks per stool were high and negative, but most had large standard errors.