Integration of Energy Cane Variety Development into Basic and Commercial Sugarcane Variety Programs.

Energy cane and a few other large tropical grasses are recognized as highly efficient converters of sunlight energy into chemical energy for biofuel production in the southern U.S.  Energy canes are varieties in the Saccharum genus developed specifically for utilization as a biofuel resource.  Contrasted with traditional sugarcane breeding and selection objectives, genetic improvement of energy cane will more closely reflect the value of Saccharum from the standpoint of total caloric output, rather than sucrose output, per se.  The long-standing Basic Breeding program at the USDA Sugarcane Research Laboratory, has had as its objective, the introgression of genes associated with traits from wild cane, primarily Saccharum spontaneum, that would increase sugarcane’s adaptability to increasingly temperate climates.  Germplasm developed in the Basic Breeding program is expected to facilitate the development of energy cane cultivars with characteristics needed to maximize energy output, lessen energy input, and increase its range of adaptation.  A multifaceted energy cane advancement program will culminate in the evaluation of traditional sugarcane cultivars, candidates with 16-18% fiber and high sucrose content, and candidates with high fiber, 18+% with little or no emphasis on sucrose content in a wide range of environments.  Data from energy cane yield trials conducted thus far will be presented.