Question

Which of the following are the species that are crossed to give sugarcane varieties with high sugar, high yield, thick stems and ability to grow in the sugarcane belt of North India?

• A. Saccharum robustum and Saccharum officinarum
• B. Saccharum barberi and Saccharum officinarum
• C. Saccharum sinense and Saccharum officinarum
• D. Saccharum barberi and Saccharum robustum

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

Saccharum barberi and Saccharum officinarum

Answer 2

Saccharum barberi was originally grown in North India but has poor sugar content and yield. However, Saccharum officinarum had higher sugar content and thicker stems but did not grow well in North India. These two species were crossed to have sugarcane varieties combining the desirable qualities of high sugar, high yield, thick stems and ability to grow in the sugarcane belt of North India.