Agronomic and molecular characterization of wild germplasm Saccharum spontaneum for sugarcane and energycane breeding purposes

Abstract

Among the species related to sugarcane, Saccharum spontaneum (L.) is a wild species with the greatest potential as a source of genetic variation to cope with biomass production in harsh environments. Due to its high yield, early vigor, ratooning ability, low input requirements and tolerance to various biotic and abiotic stresses, sugarcane breeders have shown interest in its contribution, as a donor of genes, to the development of high biomass energy canes. The conservation, evaluation and utilization of the genetic variability of S. spontaneum available in germplasm collections are critical for breeding, but, given the aggressive rhizomatous growth habit and the ability to propagate via seed dispersal, S. spontaneum is classified as a noxious weed in several nations, including the U.S.A. As a result, field trials are restrictive and few phenotypic analyses have been carried out on these collections. In the present study, a subset of 130 S. spontaneum accessions obtained from the World Collection of Sugarcane and Related Grasses in Miami, FL has been characterized phenotypically-with either morphological and agronomic traits (including composition analysis) or reaction to abiotic stress and genotypically-molecular markers (Simple Sequence Repeats-SSR). Using these data, a core collection has been established, genotypes with positive agronomic traits have been identified and are being used as parents for hybridization crosses, aimed at genetic improvement of sugarcane and energycane.

Genome-wide simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers discovered from whole-genome sequence comparisons of multiple spinach accessions

“…The PCR reactions were performed as the previous method 37 using the M13 tailing PCR procedure 38 . The forward primers were tailed by adding an M13 sequence labeled with IRDye to the 5′ end.…”

A genome-wide association study identified loci for yield component traits in sugarcane (Saccharum spp.)

“…barberi ). The identification of new alleles controlling sugar and yield metabolism in alternative Saccharum species and the introduction of these alleles into core germplasms would be one way to overcome obstacles in sugarcane breeding, increasing the productivity of commercial cultivars [79]. Following this strategy, association mapping is a powerful tool to identify genes and favorable alleles that could be used for the introgression process.…”

Water deficit modifies C:N:P stoichiometry affecting sugarcane and energy cane yield and its relationships with silicon supply

“…The sugar-energy industry sector is responsible for the widespread cultivation of sugarcane ( Saccharum officinarum L.), which is a plant species with high concentrations of sucrose used for the production of sugar and ethanol, a biofuel that is widely used in Brazil. However, in view of the sector’s need to expand the cogeneration of electrical energy, the insertion of new species has been verified, such as cane energy ( S. spontaneum L.), which typically presents high concentrations of fiber, a low sucrose content and high biomass yield 1 .…”