Sugarcane callus cultures show a considerable variation from cell to cell and among differentiated plantlets. Larkin and Scowcroft (1981) have discussed in detail, various factors responsible for somaclonal variation which include karyotype changes, cryptic changes associated with chromosome rearrangement, transposable elements, somatic gene rearrangements, gene amplification and depletion, somatic crossing over and sister-chromatoid exchanges.