(a) Write the desirable characters a farmer looks for in his sugarcane crop.
(b) How did plant breeding techniques help north Indian farmers to develop cane with desired characters?

a) Desirable factors that a farmer will look into the sugarcane are being disease-resistant, high yield, thick stems, high sugar. 
b) By hybridization, farmer can select his desirable trait. For example, Saccharum barberi was originally grown in north India, but had poor sugar content and yield. Tropical canes grown in south India Saccharum officinarum had thicker stems and higher sugar content but did not grow well in north India. These two species were successfully crossed to get sugar cane varieties combining the desirable qualities that can grow in north India.