Project Number: 6435-21000-012-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Aug 01, 2004
End Date: Oct 31, 2008

Objective:
The ultimate goal of this research project is to assure profitable and sustainable operation of the United States sugarcane industry in a highly competitive environment by genetically improving sugarcane. The objectives are as follows: (1)Broaden the germplasm base of sugarcane through the introgression of genes from wild relatives to increase its range of adaptation and its ability to remain highly productive as growers adopt more sustainable cultural practices. (2) Develop more profitable and more widely adapted commercial sugarcane cultivars through conventional and molecular breeding approaches. (3) Develop two recurrent selection populations designed to accumulate genes for increased stalk borer resistance and sucrose content. (4) Develop variety- and trait-specific molecular markers to assist breeders in eliminating undesirable plants early in the selection process.

Approach:
Basic breeding strategies are to: acquire, catalogue, and maintain accessions of Saccharum species and related genera; use sexual crossing techniques to produce interspecific and intergeneric hybrid progeny from a diverse range of parents; and to backcross and recombine progeny in a manner that will efficiently concentrate genes while eliminating undesirable genes. The approach is to: develop screening techniques to detect resistance and tolerance to pests and low temperatures; conduct basic studies to determine the mode of inheritance to pests and environmental stress; develop efficient selection methods for important characters; synchronize flowering habits of exotic and elite clones; and to develop basic principles and selection methodologies for using molecular approaches for detection and incorporation of desirable genes into breeding material, elite clones, and cultivars. To improve commercial cultivars, elite hybrids will be selected and intercrossed with a recurrent selection program being used to improve specific traits. Estimation of the relative combining ability of elite clones will be used to develop techniques to determine breeding value of parental lines early in the selection process. Large populations will be screened for desired characters in both the basic and commercial components of the project.

Project Team

Tew, Thomas White, William Richard, Edward Veremis, John Pan, Yong-Bao

Related National Programs

Plant, Microbial & Insect Genetic Res., Genomics, & Genetic Improv. I (301)   Plant Biological and Molecular Processes (302)