Inlernational Diffusion of Technology: A Case Study of Suf^arcane Varieties 37 



The early varieties, referred to as "noble" canes, belonged to 

 the eighty chromosome species Saccharum Officinamm. All of the 

 important wild varieties and early experiment station varieties 

 were of this species. The breeding program using these canes was 

 essentially a matter of producing seedlings and searching for a 

 new superior plant. Without the introduction of new genetic 

 lines, this search for new varieties was subject to diminishing pro- 

 ductivity."* A number of these stage 2 varieties were transferred 

 between countries, but they generally were susceptible to dis- 

 eases and in most cases did not remain in production for many 

 years. 



Stage 3—Nobilization: Interspecific Hybridization 



Cane-breeding achieved a major advance with the introduction of 

 additional cane species to the breeding program. The term 

 "nobilization" was used to describe the breeding work in Java, 

 which sought to improve the wild species of cane (hardy and dis- 

 ease-resistant but otherwise inferior) by successive crossing and 

 back-crossing with the noble canes. The breeders in Java in- 

 troduced the species Saccharum spontaneum (chiefly a wild variety, 

 Kassoer) to their breeding program, obtaining important results 

 by 1920. In 1921 the variety POJ 2878 was produced by this 

 program. It proved to be both disease-resistant and high-yielding. 

 More than 50,000 acres were planted to this variety in Java alone 

 by 1926. By 1929, 500,000 acres were in production, with an esti- 

 mated 30 percent yield increase due to this variety. It later was 

 planted in every producing country in the world. 



The Coimbatore Experiment Station in India developed a series 

 of tri-hybrid canes (the Co. varieties) by using the noble S*. 

 officinarum and the vigorous S. spontaneum species and introduc- 

 ing a third species, 5". barberi. The S. barberi canes were local 

 varieties possessing characteristics that made the resultant new 

 varieties adaptable to local climate, soil, and disease conditions. 

 The Co. and POJ varieties were eventually transferred to almost 

 every producing country. Hawaii also produced several major 

 nobilized varieties, which were planted in other countries. The 



4. See chapter 8 for a theoretical discussion of this point. 



