MSI00P3393 | |
Ramdoyal, K. Badaloo, G. H. | |
Prebreeding in sugarcane with an emphasis on the programme of the Mauritius Sugar Industry Research Institute | |
Engels, J M M, Ramanatha Rao, V, Brown, A H D and Jackson, M T, Managing plant genetic diversity: Proceedings of an international Conference on science and technology for managing plant genetic diversity in the 21st century, 12-16 June 2000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | |
Monograph | |
2002 | |
p. 307-321 | |
0-85199-522-5 | |
Wallingford: CABI Publishing Rome: IPGRI | |
En | |
En | |
Sugar cane is one of the crops for which interspecific hybridisation has provided a major break through towards its improvement. Most sugar cane parents at present are interspecific derived hybrids which have been used in a recurrent way for several generations of breeding to produce 'commercial' seedling populations for selection. The basic 'noble' species Saccharum officinarum has provided the genetic background and the sucrose genes whereas genes for disease resistance, vigour and environmental stresses have been introgressed mainly from the wild species S. spontaneum. Modern sugar cane hybrids are complex aneuploids with varying number of chromosomes and are derived from a narrow genepool. A basic interspecific/intergeneric base-broadening programme, although a lengthy process needing extensive resources, is maintained in order to generate new parents with specifically introgressed characters for enhancing adaptability and productivity levels. The programme adds another three to five years to the already lengthy selection process, which starting from 'commercial' seedlings, extends from 11 to 15 years. Furthermore, prebreeding in sugar cane meets with various barriers of which asynchronous flowering, genetic complexity and long generation interval are the most important ones. It is crucial that a proper choice of parents be made and strategies developed for identifying the best crosses to produce commercially acceptable varieties. The evaluation of parents per se and their breeding potential is usually integrated in the current crossing and selection programme and resort is made to information technology tools to assist in their retrieval and use. This paper reviews the salient features of prebreeding in sugar cane, the problems and prospects, and reports on the Mauritius Sugar Industry Research Institute's germplasm enhancement programme. | |
Sugarcane crossing cross evaluation genetic base-broadening INTERSPECIFIC HYBRIDIZATION Base-broadening characterization genetics germplasm intergeneric hybridization nobilisation Saccharum spp. IT | |
Mauritius | |
Cane breeding and genetic improvement | |
Breeding: Crossing | |
2000-06-22 | |
En | |
PB | |
CAT | |
1 | |
PB |