Year :1977

The third generation of eight mutants of Co 419 treated at 2 Kr. were planted for multiplication on December 15th 1976.  The crop was harvested on February 14th 1978. From observation of physical characters, the mutants appear to be breeding true. They recorded higher weight-per-cane and higher sucrose % juice than untreated check. The details of the experiment are as given in Table I.

The material harvested was replanted in a few pilot spacing and fertilizer trials in Field No. A-11/72 and for further multiplication. Sugarcane variety Co 62175 which is by and large a variety suited to this tract has failed to gain general acceptance from farmers mainly because it is a soft variety susceptibile to damage by rodents and because it tends to become pithy if harvested late. 500 buds of this variety were exposed to acute gamma irradiation at doses of 2, 3 and 4  Kr at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay with a view to exploit the chances of obtaining a stable mutant with a hard rind and with all the other desirable characters of Co 62175. The irradiated material was planted in field No. B-6/72 on 14th March 1978.