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Genetic improvement of sugarcane variety CoC 671 was carried out through somaclonal variation. The somaclones were obtained by developing callus on 0.8M EMS and 13.57M 2-4.D containing medium. All the 310 regenerated plants were hardened in green house and planted in field for preliminary selection. On the basis of biometric and biochemical parameters 17 somaclones were evaluated in rod row trial and then for smut resistance supplementing with smut inoculum and detection by PCR.The somaclonal variants TC 906 was resistant and TC 922 was moderately resistant to smut. Somaclone TC 922 (2.17 kg, 165 t/ha, 3.34 cm) and TC 906 (2.07 kg, 144.11 t/ha, 3.25 cm) were superior in single cane weight, cane yield and cane diameter over their donor CoC 671 (1.72 kg, 128 t/ha, 2.74 cm). The morphological variations viz. stem colour, internodal alignment, internodal waxiness and leaf width were distinct and stable. The present study reports beneficial traits of the somaclones derived from CoC 671 and their field performance, especially for smut resistance and yield traits and early maturity.

Sugarcane variety Co 94012 is a new variety released in India through the use of somaclonal variation. Significant differences were found in quantitative and qualitative agronomic characters. Another somaclone VSI 434 is an extra early maturing variety with significant difference in morphological and qualitative characters over the parent CoC 671. The genetic variation of micropropagated plantlets was tested by RAPD analysis. The banding pattern of PCR amplified products from micropropagated plantlets showed that most of them were monomorphic in both the varieties. The amplicon pattern of VSI 434 and Co 94012 with primers OPA 17 and OPA 19 differed from parent CoC 671, respectively. But with other primers they were more or less monomorphic indicating that the amplicon from these two primers can be used as potential fingerprint for Co VSI 434 and Co 94012.

Sodium hypochlorite has been successfully utilized as media sterilant (at total active chlorine concentration 0.002% in the medium) in production of sugarcane plantlets by applying apical meristem culture technique. The process has been scaled up to produce 2.5 million sugarcane plantlets per year. Use of sodium hypochlorite in place of autoclaving has resulted in reducing considerable amount of electricity cost and ultimately reducing the cost of production of sugarcane plantlets.

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