Naidu, P.N. & Ram A.N. Proc. Int. Soc. Sugar Cane Technol., Vol.

26, 2007
________________________________________________________________________________________________

IMPROVING SUGAR PRODUCTION—BREEDING FIJI’S FUTURE

By

PREMA N. NAIDU and ASHWEEN N. RAM

Sugar Research Institute of Fiji, FIJI
premn@fsc.com.fj and ashween@fsc.com.fj

KEYWORDS: Maturity Pattern, Pure Obtainable Cane Sugar (% POCS),

Sucrose yield, Large Mill Trial (LMT).
Abstract
A new promising sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) cultivar, LF91-1925, was tested for
milling characteristics, a prerequisite for commercial planting in Fiji. The cultivar was
released for commercial production, following the test, during the 2006 planting season.
The cultivar is early-maturing with higher sucrose content than the dominant existing
commercial cultivars. LF91-1925 outperformed existing cultivars in cane and sucrose
yields at the adaptation trials. This new cultivar was selected from the bi-parental cross
Kaba x Yasawa that was made in 1991. The female parent Kaba is a popular cultivar of
the industry and accounts for 6% of the total cane production. Yasawa is the male parent
which is a high sugar cultivar and also a parent of two other commercials. Sugar content
of LF91-1925 is 15% higher than the dominant cultivar Mana in the early part of crush.
Adoption of this cultivar will ensure a continuous supply of cane with high sucrose
content to mills for processing. This in turn will improve the sugar yield per unit area
and profitability of the ailing Fijian sugar industry.
Introduction
The sugar industry has been the mainstay of Fiji’s economy for over 100 years. Sugarcane
farming started as a colonial strategy to promote economic growth; hence it has grown significantly
over the years to become the leading industry. After independence in 1970, Fiji pursed an inward-
looking import-substitution strategy for growth in agriculture and manufacturing (Narayan and
Prasad, 2004).
Sugar production was the only key export in the economy, and sugarcane cultivation has
become the driving force for Fiji since then. The attractive prices during the mid-1970s and the
desire to increase production of sugar resulted in the expansion of the sugar industry onto less fertile
and strongly weathered soils. These soils were generally low in major nutrients such as nitrogen,
phosphorus, and potassium and many also had high levels of aluminum and manganese (Gawander
and Naidu, 1989).
While Fiji has adopted tourism and an export-led manufacturing strategy for the last decade
as the basis for its economic growth, sugar exports still drive the rural economy where the majority
of the population resides.
Currently, sugar production contributes about 3% of gross domestic product, and generates
about 19% of total domestic exports with an average foreign earning of F$254.3 million (Anon,
2005). About 25% of the population is directly and indirectly dependent on the sugar industry for
their livelihood.
The sugar industry is dominated by the farmers’ preferred cultivar, Mana, which accounts
for 65% of the total cane crushed in 2005 followed by Vatu (9%), Ragnar (8%), Mali (6%) and
others, all of which are mid-to-late-season-maturing cultivars. Endowed with highly desirable
agronomic and bio-chemical characteristics, LF91-1925 would help to improve sugar production in
the small island nation of Fiji.
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Naidu, P.N. & Ram A.N. Proc. Int. Soc. Sugar Cane Technol., Vol. 26, 2007
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Materials and methods

Genotype by environment cultivar adaptation trials were established in 1999 at three
locations that had different soil types to evaluate fibre percent, sucrose content (% pocs), and cane
and sucrose yield of the promising cultivar against five commercially grown cultivars. The trials
were planted as randomised complete block designs with three replicates. Plot size was six rows by
8 m long The commercial cultivars Aiwa, Naidiri, Ragnar, Mana and Mali were used for
comparative purposes. These are early-, mid-, and late-season-maturing cultivars. The cultivars also
were screened for resistance to the two major diseases of cane in Fiji (downy mildew and Fiji leaf
gall disease). The trials were carried out over three years.
Results and discussion
Cane and sucrose yield
The result of the plant (P), first- (R) and second- (S) ratoon crops at the three locations are
presented as consolidated results, over locations, in Table 1. The cane yield of LF91-1925 was
higher than that of all the standard cultivars in the plant and second-ratoon crop and was on par with
the standards in the first-ratoon crop. The sucrose yield was 11% and 9% higher than Mana in the
plant and second-ratoon crop and on par with Mana in the first-ratoon crop.
Table 1―All locations combined results (plant, first and second-ratoon crop).
Fibre (%) % pocs Cane yield (t/ha) Sucrose yield (t/ha)
Cultivar
P R S P R S P R S P R S
Aiwa 9.9 10.4 10.3 10.7 13.0 16.2 92 108 15.6 11.9 17.4
Naidiri 10.5 11.0 11.1 12.5 14.1 15.9 89 97 19.7 12.6 15.4
Ragnar 9.7 10.7 11.1 11.8 13.9 16.2 74 92 14.4 10.4 14.9
Mali 10.8 11.0 11.1 9.7 12.2 14.5 76 86 15.5 9.3 12.4
Mana 9.0 9.2 9.3 11.3 12.2 14.7 92 109 18.1 11.3 16.0
LF91-1925 10.4 10.5 10.6 11.5 13.2 15.3 88 113 20.2 11.7 17.4

Maturity trend
The sucrose content of LF91-1925 was higher in June, July, and August in comparison with
Naidiri (Figure 1) which has been identified as an early-maturing cultivar (Naidu and Ram, 2006;
Rao and Weerathaworn, 2005). The cultivation of this cultivar will facilitate an early start of crop
harvest and shorten its duration so as to alleviate losses in cane and sugar yields that are usually
experienced in the late part of the harvest season.

Fig. 1―Sucrose accumulation maturity curves for LF91-1925 and Naidiri.

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Naidu, P.N. & Ram A.N. Proc. Int. Soc. Sugar Cane Technol., Vol. 26, 2007
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Large mill trial (LMT)

The LMT is the pre-release testing of any cultivar in Fiji (Master Award 1997) to ascertain
its milling characteristics. The fibre level of LF91-1925 was on par with Naidiri, that is considered
high, and this will alleviate the problem of low bagasse obtained from other cultivars (Table 2).
The cane quality (% pocs/purity) of LF91-1925 is better than that of Naidiri and of all other
commercial cultivars. The high sucrose content of this new cultivar is probably the best indicator
that more sugar will be made from LF91-1925. Subsequently, the tonnes cane:tonnes sugar ratio
will reduce relative to other cultivars.

Table 2―Comparative LMT data for LF91-1925 and Naidiri.

Cultivar
Trait Naidiri LF91-1925
Cane yield (t/ha) 125 124
Fibre (%) 11.5 11.4
Cell breakage (%) 90 93
% pocs (large mill) 12.5 14.4
Purity (large mill) 87.3 91.2

Conclusion
The new sugarcane cultivar, LF91-1925, is characterised by favourable agronomic
characteristics such as vigorous early growth, early canopy formation, early maturing and has high
sugar content. LF91-1925 should be vigorously promoted to replace the low-sugar cultivars. The
adoption of LF91-1925 will ultimately result in increased sugar production and benefit all
stakeholders in the sugar industry.
Acknowledgement
We thank the Fiji Sugar Corporation for its support of this project.
REFERENCES
Anon. (2005). Fiji Sugar Corporation. Sugarcane Research Centre Annual Report for 2004. FSC
Ltd., Fiji.
Gawander, J.S. and Naidu, R. (1989). Some chemical characteristics of sugarcane growing soils
in Fiji: Implications of soil fertility. In: Haynes, R.J. and Naidu, R. ed. Proceedings
International Conference on Agricultural Development in the Pacific Islands in the 90s.
University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji.
Naidu, P.N. and Ram, A.N. (2006). Improving sugar production in Fiji with the new promising
sugarcane variety LF82-2122. International Symposium on Technologies to Improve Sugar
Productivity in Developing Countries, Guilin, P.R. China.
Narayan, P.K. and Prasad, B.C. (2004). Economic Importance of the Sugar Industry in Fiji:
Simulating the Impact of a 30 Percent Decline in Sugar Production. Department of
Economics, University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji. Working Paper No. 2004/12.
Rao, M.S. and Weerathaworn, P. (2005). Quality and maturity pattern of sugarcane cultivars from
various regions in Thailand. Proc. Int. Soc Sugar Cane Technol., 25: 537–540.

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AMÉLIORATION DE LA PRODUCTIVITÉ EN SUCRE- L’AVENIR DE FIJI

Par
PREMA N. NAIDU et ASHWEEN N. RAM
Sugar Research Institute of Fiji, FIJI
premn@fsc.com.fj, ashween@fsc.com.fj
MOTS CLÉS: Profil d’Accumulation du Sucre,
Sucre Extractible % Canne, Rendement en Sucre, Test d’Usinage.
Résumé
UNE NOUVELLE variété prometteuse de canne à sucre (Saccharum spp.), LF91-1925, a été testée
pour ses caractéristiques d’usinage, condition importante pour la plantation commerciale à Fiji. La
variété a été homologuée en 2006 après avoir passé les tests nécessaires. Comparé aux cultivars
commerciaux dominants à Fiji, ce cultivar présente des caractéristiques de maturation précoce avec
une teneur plus élevée en sucre. Le cultivar LF91-1925 a donné un meilleur rendement en canne et
en sucre comparé aux variétés existantes dans les essais commerciaux. Ce nouveau cultivar a été
produit en 1991 à partir d’un croisement des variétés kaba x Yasawa. Le parent femelle (Kaba) est
une variété populaire de l’industrie et contribue à près de 6% de la totalité de la production
cannière. Yasawa, le parent mâle, a une forte teneur en sucre et est également un géniteur de deux
autres variétés commerciales. Le taux de saccharose de la variété LF91-1925 est 15% plus élevé que
celui de la variété dominante, Mana, dans la premíère partie de la récolte. L’adoption de ce cultivar
assurera un approvisionnement continu en canne avec une forte teneur en sucre à l’usine et
améliorera le rendement en sucre par unité de surface ainsi que la profitabilité de l’industrie sucrière
Fijienne qui stagne.

MEJORAMIENTO DE LA PRODUCCIÓN DE AZÚCAR. EL FUTURO

DEL PROGRAMA DE MEJORAMIENTO GENÉTICO DE FIJI
Por
PREMA N. NAIDU y ASHWEEN N. RAM
Sugar Research Institute of Fiji, FIJI
premn@fsc.com.fj y ashween@fsc.com.fj
PALABRAS CLAVE: Patrón de Maduración, Azúcar de Caña Puro Obtenible, Producción
de Sacarosa, Experimentos Grandes de Molienda.
Resumen
SE EVALUÓ un nuevo cultivar promisorio de caña de azúcar (Saccharum spp.) LF 91-1925, en sus
características de molienda como un requisito para su siembra comercial en Fiji. El cultivar se
entregó para la producción comercial durante la temporada de siembra de 2006. El cultivar es de
maduración temprana con un contenido de sacarosa superior al de los cultivares comerciales
predominantes. LF 91-1925 superó a los cultivares predominantes en la producción de caña y
sacarosa en los experimentos de adaptación. LF 91-1925 se seleccionó de un cruzamiento biparental
entre Kaba x Yasawa hecho en 1991. El progenitor femenino Kaba es un cultivar muy popular en la
industria y es el responsable por el 6% de la producción de caña. Yasawa es el progenitor masculino
con una buena producción de azúcar y padre de otros dos cultivares comerciales. El contenido de
azúcar de LF 91-1925 es 15% superior al del cultivar predominante Mana al comienzo de la
molienda. La adopción de este cultivar asegurará un suministro continuo de caña con un alto
contenido de sacarosa a los ingenios que lo procesen. Este cultivar mejorará la producción de azúcar
por unidad de área y la rentabilidad de la decadente industria azucarera de Fiji.

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