VSI 434 is an extra early maturing (11.50% sugar recovery at 9 month age), high yielding and drought tolerant variety.Sugarcane variety VSI 434 have the ability of maintaining high sugar recovery from 10^th to 16^th month of age. It is found that it gives 1.5 units more sugar recovery as compared to existing varieties of the same age. VSI 434 variety has been pre-released.

To see the mill test results of the variety performed in eight different sugar factories in Maharashtra, click here.

VSI 435 is also high sugared variety with scanty leaf sheath hairs as compared to that of CoC 671 which is a donar parent. The variety is capable of giving 0.43 units higher sugar recovery as compared to that in CoC 671.

The Section has developed cost effective sugarcane micro-propagation protocol for the following twelve sugarcane varieties - Co 740, Co 7219, Co 86032, Co 8014, Co 8021, CoC 671, VSI 434, VSI 435, CoVSI 9805, Co 94012, Co 95012, CoVSI 2000-01.

The section has so far supplied more than 10.30 million plantlets of different varieties of sugarcane to the sugar industry and sugarcane growers of Maharashtra State and adjoining States like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Goa.

The following table summarizes the information about statewise supply of plantlets:

Sr. No.	State	Number of Plantlets Supplied
1	Maharashtra	7,625,120
2	Gujarat	1,941,100
3	Madhya Pradesh	466,400
4	Andhra Pradesh	149,600
5	Goa	98,333
6	Rajasthan	12,000
7	Karnataka	31,600
8	Uttar Pradesh	1,100
	Total	10,325,313

Sugar industry and sugarcane growers are convinced about the use of tissue cultured sugarcane plantlets for increasing the sugarcane and sugar productivity. This has resulted in increasing the demand for the plantlets from the sugar industry as well as sugarcane growers

It has been observed that the use of planting material obtained from micropropagated sugarcane plantlets results in increasing sugarcane yield to the tune of 30-35%.
A special mention of this achievement was made by the former President of India, Dr. Abdul Kalam in his address to the nation on the eve of Independence Day and subsequently in a prize giving ceremony.