Abstract:The axillary bud on cane stalk is the main reproductive organ for sugarcane vegetative reproduction. To ensure enough bud setts at planting is an essential prerequisite for high and stable cane yield, but too large bud setts also mean high planting cost. This is a common dilemma in sugarcane production. In previous studies on innovative utilization of hybrid from Saccharum robustum Brandes and Jeswiet ex Grassl, one mutant with double axillary buds (YZ07-86) was exploited. In this study, the twin axillary buds phenotypic frequency, stability, hereditability and its yield impact were determined. The double axillary buds were found to be randomly inserted from the 6 th stem node above ground to stem tip in three ways (twins, adjoined and separated), with an overall tendency of increasing first and then decreasing. Importantly, both of the double axillary buds are generally able to germinate after planting. Under a test of field-conditional asexual reproduction over years, the double axillary buds was found to be stably inherited in the population. By making crosses with 32 different sugarcane varieties, a few of progeny individuals with the double axillary buds was observed from 11 hybridization combinations. That suggested that the trait of double axillary buds was able to be transmitted by hybridization to the progeny with a very low frequency. In the yield comparison test with same amount of buds but planting single or double axillary bud setts respectively, no significant difference in millable stalks and cane yield was observed, suggesting a significant applied potential with the mutant in the sugarcane seed market. This study could establish a foundation for the following research such as the mining for candidate genes of double axillary buds and the practical use in sugarcane breeding.