Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, India, one of the pioneering breeding institutes in the world was established in 1912, to evolve superior varieties of sugarcane to cater to the needs of the various agro climatic zones in the country. The Institute is located at Coimbatore (77^oE longitude and 11^oN latitude)in Southern India on the leeward side of Western Ghats at 427 metres above mean sea level and receives an annual average of rainfall of 800 mm, bulk of it during the months of October-December. The maximum and minimum temperatures range from 35.2^oC and 21.7^oC respectively.

Superior varieties of sugarcane, evolved by the Institute have elevated the status of the nation from a sugar importer to the largest manufacturer of sugar in the world today. Indian varieties are being grown and used as breeding stocks in 26 other countries in the world as well. Today we have the privilege of being the largest producer of sugar from an area of 4.229 million hectares of land, encompassing all types of soil, climate and constraints and still with a productivity as good as any other country of this magnitude. The Institute also is the repository of the largest collection of sugarcane germplasm in the world, which is being used continuously for the enlargement of the genetic base of future sugarcane varieties and improvement of productivity. In addition to the major role as the source of improved varieties for the nation, commendable contributions have been made in the areas of crop production and crop protection researches also.