International Diffusion of Technology: 

 A Case Study of Sugarcane Varieties 



The transmission of improved technology from one economy to 

 another is an important aspect of economic development. 

 However, the difficulties encountered by development efforts de- 

 signed to foster such transmission indicate a far from complete 

 understanding of the technical and economic factors involved. 

 This chapter examines the experience of sugarcane varietal 

 transfer between countries in an attempt to identify factors that 

 have determined the extent of transmission of this particular 

 form of technology. The sugarcane variety "embodies" a major 

 part of the technology of sugarcane production. During the period 

 of most rapid and widespread transfer of varieties internationally, 

 varietal technological change was dominant. Earlier discussions 

 of this material are reported in Evenson, Houck, and Ruttan 

 (1970). 



The Development of Cane Varieties 



It will be useful to characterize the development of cane varieties 

 as occurring in four major stages: 



Sia^e I— Selection oj Native Varieties 



Prior to 1887 relatively few cane varieties were in commercial 

 production. The cane plant reproduces itself asexually, and plant- 

 ers were unable to alter the genetic structure of the existing 

 varieties. From the sixth century to the eighteenth century a 

 single variety, the "Creole" (a hybrid with sterile flowers, thus in- 

 capable of sexual reproduction) was produced throughout the 

 world. During the eighteenth century a second variety, the 



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