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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Canal Point, Florida » Sugarcane Field Station » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #375327
Research Project: Identification of Resistant Germplasm and Markers Associated with Resistance to Major Diseases of Sugarcane

Location: Sugarcane Field Station

Title: Status of the Historical “CL” Sugarcane Breeding Collection and Assessment of Agronomic Traits on Sandy Soil in Florida

Author
item BARRETO, EVERTON - Us Sugar Corporation
item LABORDE, CHRISTOPHER - Us Sugar Corporation
item HU, CHEN-JIAN - Us Sugar Corporation
item WILLIAMS, SAM - Us Sugar Corporation
item RIFA, RUBEN - Us Sugar Corporation
item KAYE, CLAUDIA - Us Sugar Corporation
item Sood, Sushma
item ESPARZA, EZEQUIEL - Us Sugar Corporation
item ROBERT, TODD - Us Sugar Corporation

Submitted to: American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/22/2020
Publication Date: 6/14/2020
Citation: Barreto, E., LaBorde, C., Hu, C., Williams, S., Rifa, R., Kaye, C., Sood, S.G., Esparza, E., Robert, T. 2020. Status of the Historical “CL” Sugarcane Breeding Collection and Assessment of Agronomic Traits on Sandy Soil in Florida. American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists. 83(1):2.

Interpretive Summary: N/A

Technical Abstract: Sugarcane breeding programs depend on germplasm collections to explore genetic variability through sugarcane crosses and selection techniques to create new high-yielding cultivars (Saccharum L. spp. hybrids) for commercial production. For nearly seventy-three years U.S. Sugar Corporation conducted a successful variety development program for organic soils in Clewiston, Florida. The CL variety program was discontinued in 2004, but its breeding collection of sugarcane varieties has been preserved by U.S. Sugar scientists. The purpose of this study was to assess, for the first time, agronomic traits of 338 CL sugarcane varieties for cane and sugar yields on sandy soil. The collection was planted in November 2017 at the Townsite Production zone and grown under U.S. Sugar commercial farming practices. It was evaluated for two crop cycles, plant cane and first stubble, and assessed for agronomic traits in both September and January. Stalk number, stalk weight, Brix% and sucrose% in juice were used to estimate cane and sugar yields. Reactions to main sugarcane diseases were observed during the growing period and flowering aspects evaluated in early January. Results were compared against main Florida commercial varieties, CP96-1252 and CPCL97-2730. Nearly 50% of the breeding collection flowered naturally on sandy soil, and 43 varieties (12.7%) have tested positive for Bru1gene, known for brown rust resistance. The results of this study may reveal the existing potential of the U.S. Sugar CL variety collection for breeding and variety development purposes.