Saccharum barberi was originally grown in :

The correct answer is Option (2) → North India

Option (2) North India — Correct. It had poor sugar content and yield; crossing it with Saccharum officinarum of south India gave canes with high yield and sugar that grow in north India.

Note: This question is from Chapter 9, Strategies for Enhancement in Food Production, of the pre-rationalised NCERT book. This chapter is not in the present NCERT book (2026-27). The extract below is from the pre-rationalised edition.

NCERT Extract (Pre-rationalised edition, Chapter 9, Strategies for Enhancement in Food Production):
What Is Plant Breeding? – “… Sugar cane: 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 of high yield, thick stems, high sugar and ability to grow in the sugar cane areas of north India.”