Lineal Models For Sugarcane Mosaic Disease Resistance Evaluation

The evaluation of diseases resistance is a key step in the Sugarcane Breeding Program. For this reason, it is necessary the updating of the methodologies established for this purpose. The objective of this work was to compare the current methodology and the use of linear regression for the classification of cultivars by their reaction to the sugarcane mosaic disease. Data from a multi-environmental study conducted at the three Test Centers: Jovellanos, Florida and Mayari, were used. Thirteen sugarcane cultivars were included:The results showed variability in the magnitude of the expected response of the control, which prevented the validation of the six trials evaluated by the current methodology and, therefore, the classification of the material under study. However, the application of the comparison of means between the infection percentages of the control cultivars offered an alternative for the revalidation of the studies. In addition, the application of linear regression allowed obtaining mathematical models for the assignment of a rate and reaction category against the mosaic to the cultivars in the studies, which gives them greater precision in the results.