Pilibhit: Agricultural scientists in Uttar Pradesh have developed four new sugarcane varieties aimed at improving yields and providing stronger resistance against red rot, a fungal disease that has affected the popular Co 0238 variety and caused losses for sugarcane farmers and sugar mills. The new varieties have been approved for cultivation across Uttar Pradesh, offering growers additional disease-resistant options.
The Uttar Pradesh Council of Sugarcane Research (UPCSR) has developed three of the new varieties, while the fourth has been developed by the Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research (IISR). Among them, CoS 23232 is considered a key variety because of its early maturity, higher cane yield and improved sugar content. According to UPCSR scientists, field trials recorded an average yield of 95.56 tonnes per hectare, nearly 10% higher than the existing variety under comparable conditions. 
Sanjiv Pathak, principal scientist at UPCSR, said CoS 23232 has shown strong resistance to red rot and could provide farmers with a suitable alternative to varieties affected by the disease. The improved disease resistance is expected to help protect sugarcane yields and support stable sugar production in the state.
Another newly developed early-maturing variety combines red rot resistance, higher sugar content and strong stalk characteristics, while two other varieties mature later in the season. The new varieties are expected to give farmers greater flexibility in selecting sugarcane based on maturity period, disease resistance and local growing conditions.
Scientists said developing a new sugarcane variety is a lengthy process and can take up to 11 years before commercial cultivation. The process begins with crossing selected male and female sugarcane plants to combine desirable traits such as high sugar content, better yield and disease resistance. The resulting seeds are then grown into individual plants for detailed evaluation.
Researchers assess the plants over several years, including their performance during ratooning, along with cane yield, sugar content, growth characteristics and resistance to diseases such as red rot. Only varieties showing consistent performance are selected for advanced trials and eventual commercial cultivation.
The development of these four new varieties is expected to strengthen Uttar Pradesh's efforts to manage red rot disease in sugarcane while improving productivity and providing farmers with more resilient planting material.
