Sugarcane Breeding Institute – [SBI], Coimbatore

Established in 1912, the Sugarcane Breeding Institute in Coimbatore has dedicated over 104 years to the development of superior sugarcane varieties tailored to the diverse agro-climatic regions of India. Situated in Southern India, specifically at Coimbatore (77°E longitude and 11°N latitude), the institute benefits from its location on the leeward side of the Western Ghats, approximately 427 meters above sea level. The region experiences an average annual rainfall of 800 mm, with the majority occurring between October and December. The maximum and minimum temperatures range from 35.2°C to 21.7°C, respectively.

Throughout the last century, the institute has made significant contributions to the varietal diversity of sugarcane in India. More than 90% of the sugarcane cultivation area in the country comprises varieties that were either bred at or derived from crosses made at the Sugarcane Breeding Institute in Coimbatore. Furthermore, these Coimbatore-bred varieties have been adopted for cultivation and used as breeding stocks in 26 other countries worldwide.

The National Hybridization Garden, located at the ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute in Coimbatore, serves as the foundation for generating variability on a national scale. It facilitates and coordinates the crossing programs of 24 sugarcane breeding centers dispersed across the country. Additionally, the National Distant Hybridization Facility, situated at the ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute’s Agali Research Centre, is open to all participating centers of the All India Coordinated Research Project for Sugarcane. This facility enables wide crosses, strengthening pre-breeding activities in the field.