The lack of large negative or positive genetic correlation suggests that either: (i) the genes affecting these traits are independent of each other or (ii) genes acting pleiotropically on both CCS and cane yield, or which are genetically linked, cause opposite effects.From a physiological perspective, it would seem possible that individual gene effects on carbohydrate production (e.g. increasing it) would affect both higher cane yields and sucrose accumulation in a similar
direction. However, opposing that, any gene effect on partitioning of assimilate toward either further cane growth, or to storage sinks, would tend to contribute to a negative genetic correlation between growth (cane yield) and storage (sugar content). A plausible hypothesis is that, in most environments, genetic variation in these two broad physiological components(i.e. assimilation of carbon and partitioning between growth and storage), acts in opposite directions in relation to effects on genetic correlations, resulting mostly in genetic correlations close to zero as observed.