Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Canal Point, Florida » Sugarcane Field Station » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #315901
Title: Registration of 'UFCP 87-0053' sugarcane for use as a biofuel feedstock

Author
item Gordon, Vanessa
item Comstock, Jack
item SANDHU, HARDEV - University Of Florida
item GILBERT, ROBERT - University Of Florida
item KORNDORFER, PEDRO - Florida Crystals Corporation
item EL-HOUT, NAEL - Bp Biofuels North America, Llc
item ARUNDALE, REBECCA - Bp Biofuels North America, Llc
item Sood, Sushma

Submitted to: Journal of Plant Registrations
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/11/2016
Publication Date: 7/14/2016
Citation: Gordon, V.S., Comstock, J.C., Sandhu, H.H., Gilbert, R.A., Korndorfer, P., El-Hout, N., Arundale, R., Sood, S.G. 2016. Registration of 'UFCP 87-0053' sugarcane for use as a biofuel feedstock. Journal of Plant Registrations. 10:258-264.

Interpretive Summary: Energy cane is a relatively new generation of energy crops being bred as a source for biofuel feedstock and ethanol production. Current energy cane breeding strategies have focused on selecting high biomass hybrids from wide crosses between commercial sugarcane cultivars and S. spontaneum, which is characterized by high stalk counts and fiber content, excellent ratooning ability, and tolerances to abiotic and biotic pressures. A cooperative energy cane cultivar development program has been established between the USDA-ARS Sugarcane Field Station (Canal Point, Florida), the University of Florida-EREC (Belle Glade, Florida), and BP Biofuels North America, LLC (Houston, Texas) to produce high-yielding, and disease-resistant cultivars. As a result of four years of testing, energy cane cultivar UFCP84-1047 was developed in Florida and released this year. Yields of the new cultivar exceeded L79-1002 (released in 2008). The UFCP84-1047 cultivar will provide a new source of energy cane.

Technical Abstract: UFCP 87-0053 (Reg. No.; PI xxxx) was released by the United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Services (USDA-ARS), Canal Point (CP), Florida, and the University of Florida (UF) for its potential use in cellulosic ethanol production. UFCP UFCP 87-0053 is a high fiber sugarcane (Saccharum sp.), which was developed to produce genetic diversity in a feedstock for cellulosic ethanol production in Florida. The UFCP 87-0053 clone results from a CP mating of unknown parents; yet can be distinguished molecularly, and is genotypically distinct, from other energy cane cultivars released concurrently with this one. UFCP 87-0053 is moderate to highly resistant to smut (i.e., Sporisorium scitamineum) with significantly lower infestation than the reference check, L 79-1002; following both naturally-occurring environmental and artificial inoculations. UFCP 87-0053 was also resistant, or moderately resistant, to several other sugarcane diseases including brown rust (i.e., Puccinia melanocephala H. and P. Sydow), orange rust (i.e., P. kuehnii), leaf scald (i.e., Xanthomonas albilinenas [Ashby] Dawson) and Sugarcane Mosaic Virus. Mean dry biomass yield of UFCP 87-0053 was approximately 5% greater than L 79-1002. Plant composition of UFCP 87-0053 is very similar to L 79-1002. UFCP 87-0053 is released to be cultivated on marginal or sandy soils of Florida for cellulosic ethanol production.