Enhanced sugarcane farming systems
Program leader: Dr John Manners, CSIRO Plant Industry
This program aims to maximise sugar crop performance and minimise its environmental footprint.
Researchers have already made great strides towards developing a commercial DNA marker service that takes sugarcane breeding without genetic modification to a new level.
The CRC is close to releasing to breeders a commercial DNA marker service for genotyping sugarcane, initially to improve selection of parents for crosses. More than 3,000 polymorphic DArT markers for sugarcane traits were identified in the process.
While the initial focus has been on genetic markers showing potential smut resistance, down the track the service could also offer breeders information about high yield, commercial cane sugar (CCS) and other valuable traits.
Program objectives
- To develop a more efficient breeding program using molecular markers
- To deliver biotechnologies that soften the industry’s environmental footprint in what is a sensitive ecological location.