The RADP (Random amplified polymorphic DNA) technique was used to detect tissue-culture-induced variations in sugarcane. Plants of the Brazilian variety RB83-5486 propagated via rhizomes and via meristem cultures were studied. The polymorphism rate for 98 RAPD loci was 6.93% when the plants derived from meristems. Besides, in order to evaluate the influence of the number of subcultures on the generation of somaclonal variation, field-grown RB83-5486 plants derived from 10 meristems were studied after five subcultivations. Although different rates of polymorphism were observed, there was no direct association with the stage of subcultivation. The analysis of plants of two sugarcane varieties cultivated in vitro from meristems showed that variety RB83-5486 was more unstable than variety SP80-185.