Lynne Wong's PhD thesis

The analytical results shown in Tables 4.17-4.21 were analysed statistically by making use
of GENSTAT for Windows (Version 8.0). The objective of this analysis was to determine
the effect of replication in the field, cane variety, size of cane component (fibre or
fines/pith), age, replication of their interactions, cane component parts and location of crop
growth, on the Brix-free water content.
The results of the analyses of variance are shown in Table 4.23. Statistical significance
refers to P < 0.05(*), P < 0.01 (**) and P < 0.001 (***) levels.
4.7.3.2 Replication
The three replicates in the field did not differ significantly in the Brix-free water content of
dry leaf fibre and fines, green leaf fibre and fines, top fibre and rind fibre and fines,
whereas in the case of stalk fibre and pith, the difference was highly significant (P <
0.001). This is because the Brix-free water values of pith in certain replicates of all cane
varieties at 52 weeks were high, notably the 3 rd replicate of R 579, the 1 st replicate of
R 570, the 2 nd replicate of M 1557/70 and the 1 st replicate of M 1400/86. These replicates
were in a flowering state and had probably developed pithiness which led to higher Brixfree
water values.
4.7.3.3 Cane variety
When the fibre and fines of each component part as well as all the three ages were
considered together, there was a highly significant main effect of cane variety (P < 0.001)
for all component parts except stalk indicating that the Brix-free water in dry leaf is
different in the four cane varieties, similarly for green leaf, top and rind. However in stalk,
when the combined effect of fibre and pith and the three ages were considered, the four
cane varieties were not different.
4.7.3.4 Size: fibre or fines
When all the four cane varieties and all the three ages were considered together, there was
a highly significant (P < 0.001) main effect of size (whether fibre or fines) on the Brix-free
water values in all components examined. The fines of a cane component part generally
have about a unit higher Brix-free water value than the corresponding fibres except in stalk
where the difference is much larger.