Sugarcane genetics: Underlying theory and practical application

Sugarcane is recognized as the fifth largest crop globally, supplying 80% of sugar and 40% of bioenergy production. However, sugarcane genetic research has significantly lagged behind other crops due to its complex genetic background, high ploidy (8–13×), aneuploidy, limited flowering, and a long gr...

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Main Authors: Hengbo Wang, Yong-Bao Pan, Mingxing Wu, Junhong Liu, Shiwei Yang, Qibin Wu, Youxiong Que
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2025-04-01
Series:Crop Journal
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214514124002447
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author Hengbo Wang
Yong-Bao Pan
Mingxing Wu
Junhong Liu
Shiwei Yang
Qibin Wu
Youxiong Que
author_facet Hengbo Wang
Yong-Bao Pan
Mingxing Wu
Junhong Liu
Shiwei Yang
Qibin Wu
Youxiong Que
author_sort Hengbo Wang
collection DOAJ
description Sugarcane is recognized as the fifth largest crop globally, supplying 80% of sugar and 40% of bioenergy production. However, sugarcane genetic research has significantly lagged behind other crops due to its complex genetic background, high ploidy (8–13×), aneuploidy, limited flowering, and a long growth cycle (more than one year). Cross breeding began in 1887 following the discovery that sugarcane seeds could germinate. Both self- and cross-pollination and selection were conducted by sugarcane breeders, but new cultivars were often eliminated due to disease susceptibility. Within the Saccharum genus, different species possess variable numbers of chromosomes. Wild sugarcane species intercrossed with each other, leading to development of the ‘Nobilization’ breeding strategy, which significantly improved yield, sucrose, fiber content, and disease resistance, and accelerated genetic improvement of cultivars. In recent years, scientific achievements have also been made in sugarcane genome sequencing, molecular marker development, genetic linkage map construction, localization of quantitative trait locus (QTL), and trait-associated gene identification. This review focuses on the progress in sugarcane genetic research, analyzes the technical difficulties faced, presents opportunities and challenges, and provides guidance and references for future sugarcane genetics research and cultivar breeding. Finally, it offers directions for future on sugarcane genetics.
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publishDate 2025-04-01
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spelling doaj-art-f53ca1d53e5e4191b0d49ba207ce5dd92025-08-20T03:08:20ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Crop Journal2214-51412025-04-0113232833810.1016/j.cj.2024.11.005Sugarcane genetics: Underlying theory and practical applicationHengbo Wang0Yong-Bao Pan1Mingxing Wu2Junhong Liu3Shiwei Yang4Qibin Wu5Youxiong Que6Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Agriculture, Instrumental Analysis Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, ChinaUSDA-ARS, Sugarcane Research Unit, Houma, LA 70360, USAKey Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Agriculture, Instrumental Analysis Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, ChinaKey Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Agriculture, Instrumental Analysis Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, ChinaKey Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Agriculture, Instrumental Analysis Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, ChinaKey Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Agriculture, Instrumental Analysis Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, China; National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Sanya 572024, Hainan, China; National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kaiyuan 661600, Yunnan, ChinaKey Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Agriculture, Instrumental Analysis Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, China; National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Sanya 572024, Hainan, China; National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kaiyuan 661600, Yunnan, China; Corresponding author.Sugarcane is recognized as the fifth largest crop globally, supplying 80% of sugar and 40% of bioenergy production. However, sugarcane genetic research has significantly lagged behind other crops due to its complex genetic background, high ploidy (8–13×), aneuploidy, limited flowering, and a long growth cycle (more than one year). Cross breeding began in 1887 following the discovery that sugarcane seeds could germinate. Both self- and cross-pollination and selection were conducted by sugarcane breeders, but new cultivars were often eliminated due to disease susceptibility. Within the Saccharum genus, different species possess variable numbers of chromosomes. Wild sugarcane species intercrossed with each other, leading to development of the ‘Nobilization’ breeding strategy, which significantly improved yield, sucrose, fiber content, and disease resistance, and accelerated genetic improvement of cultivars. In recent years, scientific achievements have also been made in sugarcane genome sequencing, molecular marker development, genetic linkage map construction, localization of quantitative trait locus (QTL), and trait-associated gene identification. This review focuses on the progress in sugarcane genetic research, analyzes the technical difficulties faced, presents opportunities and challenges, and provides guidance and references for future sugarcane genetics research and cultivar breeding. Finally, it offers directions for future on sugarcane genetics.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214514124002447Interspecific hybridizationNobilization breedingNon-Mendelian inheritanceSugarcane breeding
spellingShingle Hengbo Wang
Yong-Bao Pan
Mingxing Wu
Junhong Liu
Shiwei Yang
Qibin Wu
Youxiong Que
Sugarcane genetics: Underlying theory and practical application
Crop Journal
Interspecific hybridization
Nobilization breeding
Non-Mendelian inheritance
Sugarcane breeding
title Sugarcane genetics: Underlying theory and practical application
title_full Sugarcane genetics: Underlying theory and practical application
title_fullStr Sugarcane genetics: Underlying theory and practical application
title_full_unstemmed Sugarcane genetics: Underlying theory and practical application
title_short Sugarcane genetics: Underlying theory and practical application
title_sort sugarcane genetics underlying theory and practical application
topic Interspecific hybridization
Nobilization breeding
Non-Mendelian inheritance
Sugarcane breeding
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214514124002447
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AT mingxingwu sugarcanegeneticsunderlyingtheoryandpracticalapplication
AT junhongliu sugarcanegeneticsunderlyingtheoryandpracticalapplication
AT shiweiyang sugarcanegeneticsunderlyingtheoryandpracticalapplication
AT qibinwu sugarcanegeneticsunderlyingtheoryandpracticalapplication
AT youxiongque sugarcanegeneticsunderlyingtheoryandpracticalapplication