The sugarcane area in Thailand has reached a plateau of
about 1.2 million hectares with an average cane yield of 55 t/
ha. With competition from crops for ethanol and sugar prices
fluctuating, millers have opted for diversification and utilisation
of the by-products. At Mitr Phol Sugarcane Research Centre,
the breeding program is aimed at developing high yielding
superior quality cultivars through an eight-step breeding
program. Mitr Phol sugar mills utilise bagasse (12 to 13% fibre)
for production of particle boards and generation of electricity
and molasses for production of ethanol. We initiated a breeding
program for developing multipurpose cultivars, defined as
cultivars superior to existing cultivars with additional fibre
content. We have also made an attempt to develop very early
types for use in Ethanol industry. Martin-Gardiner and Rao
(2001) obtained multipurpose cultivars out yielding commercial
ones for both yield and fibre content. The objective of the
study was to evaluate and identify multipurpose cultivars and
to develop varieties for the ethanol industry