The mechanization in sugarcane cultivation is required to improve the performance of sugarcane production capacity in China. The mechanization process is very substantial because it can enhance the production of agricultural land. There is an urgent need to breed advance sugarcane cultivars for mechanization process. In this article, cross-breeding was carried out using YT01-23 (female parent) and ROC22 (male parent) cultivars, and "five nursery system" was applied. The new sugarcane cultivar Guitang 10-2018 (GT10-2018) was comprehensively assessed through regional demonstrations in the Guangxi province, China. Morphological and production responses of Guitang 66 (GT66) cultivar were observed. It concluded that GT66 is a medium to medium-large stem cultivar with early maturity, better ratoon, stress tolerance, and mechanization-friendly approaches. The average yield of ratoons planted in the first and second (2018 and 2019) year was found about 86,537 kg/ha. The production capacity enhanced at 11.37% compared to ROC22 cultivar. The average sucrose content was found 14.35% in November-December, and 15.10% in the month of March. The average sucrose content was found optimum in GT66 than ROC22. The yield of newly planted sugarcane was 86,717 kg/ha lower than ROC22 (0.64%) in the first year. The average sugar content was found 11,619 kg/ha lower than ROC22. The average ratoon yield was 87,196 and 86,447 kg/ha, enhanced 11.58 and 26.62% compared to ROC22 in 2018 and 2019 cropping season. The average sugar content was 11,574 and 14,588 kg/ha (increase 5.42 and 26.98%). The average sugarcane fibre content was 12.18%, which is 0.08% lower than ROC22. The growth, development and production performance of GT66 was more significant during the regional field demonstrations, and it has strong production capacity. The current sugarcane production and cultivation strategies are suitable for sugarcane plantation sustainable development in Guangxi province, China.
Keywords: Guitang-66; Mechanization approach; Regional demonstration; Sugarcane cultivation; Sustainable development; Varietal breeding.
© 2025. The Author(s).