Purpose, requirements, and application of morphological descriptors for use in
a sugarcane germplasm collection are reviewed. Such descriptors could be used
to verify the identity of cultivars, and as a measure of genetic distance.
Verification of cultivar identity is essential in routine plant breeding and
associated research. Genetic distance estimation would enable a better usage
of available genetic resources. Morphological characters are perhaps more
reflective of agronomic performance and they provide a broader sampling of the
genome than molecular techniques. Statistical evaluation of characters for
adoption as descriptors differs from most taxonomic studies because the
population is hybrid and open, with accelerated genetic drift. The various
discriminant analyses provide the optimal character selection technique.
Variance components of individual characters should also be analysed to enable
character improvement. Different ways of incorporating descriptor usage into
the plant breeding program are discussed.
Variability, Heritability and Flowering Ability of some Sugarcane Germplasm
