ABSTRACT
Taxonomy of the sugarcane genus Saccharum is controversial. The “seed” of sugarcane, a caryopsis, remains enclosed in the glumes attached to the rachis nodes which disarticulate at maturity. The morphological, anatomical, and biochemical changes associated with sugarcane flower evocation indicate that flowering is a sequential process. Sugarcane, like many Gramineae, has a juvenile phase of development during which immature stalks cannot flower. Sugarcane requires high light intensity for normal vegetative growth and development. Sugarcane producers and breeders recognize the importance of temperature on flower induction, panicle development, and pollen viability. Knowledge of factors involved in promoting sugarcane flowering offers many methods for altering flowering behavior. Breeding and selection programs have been established in most sugarcane-growing countries or regions in response to the need for clones well adapted to the local climate and agronomic practices. Knowledge of how sugarcane flowering is controlled and regulated in nature is rudimentary.
