Genetic improvement of sugarcane for yield and quality traits: A review

Abstract

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is a globally important crop for sugar and biofuel production, making genetic improvement of its yield and quality traits an important goal. This article provides a summary of recent developments in sugarcane breeding with the objective of enhancing cane production, sucrose content, fiber quality and other closely related characteristics. We cover the history of sugarcane breeding, beginning with the early domestication of sugarcane and the selection of wild seedlings and progressing all the way up to the production of significant hybrid series that matched the high sugar content of noble cane with the vigor and tolerance characteristic of wild species. In this highly polyploid crop, we investigate the genetic mechanism that underlies yield and sugar characteristics. This article provides an overview of several breeding tactics, covering traditional methods (such as interspecific crossings, backcrossing, recurrent and clonal selection and induced mutations) as well as contemporary procedures that are helped by genomics. It is noted that marker-assisted selection and genomic selection are techniques that can speed the development of complicated characteristics. Additionally, new biotechnologies, like as transgenic modification and CRISPR/Cas gene editing, are being studied for their potential to bring targeted trait improvements. Additionally, we cover important germplasm resources, such as a wide variety of Saccharum species and allied grasses, as well as developments in high-throughput phenotyping and genomics, such as QTL mapping and genome assembly, which are the foundation of breeding. The difficulties associated with sugarcane improvement and the potential for the future are underlined.