Big Data, Better Cane

Genomics to Transform Sugarcane Breeding at Meringa

Sugar Research Australia’s (SRA) breeding program is set to undergo a major transformation, with genomics poised to reshape how new sugarcane varieties are developed.

From next year, SRA General Manager Variety Development Dr Garry Rosewarne will be based at Meringa, leading the rollout of genomic selection within the breeding program. DNA, genomics and big data will become central tools, allowing researchers to assess quality and disease resistance much earlier in the breeding process.

“We will be recombining the existing genes from parents through crossing programs like we have always done but now we will be able to select our parents and their progeny much more efficiently and based on data collected from the best lines,” Dr Rosewarne said.

“Using genomic selection we will be able to check for quality and disease resistance right from the beginning so that everything coming through the pipeline will succeed at the end of the PATs, CATs and FATs in the field for traits such as tonnes of cane per hectare, CCS, fibre, and resistance to Pachymetra and smut.”

The change follows eight years of research, with 8,000 sugarcane clones already genotyped, including all parents in the Meringa crossing plot and FAT clones from the past decade. This data has been used to create “training populations” in the field to develop prediction equations linking DNA to performance.

“We genotype these lines and then we test them in the field for tonnes of cane per hectare, CCS scores, smut resistance, for fibre and for Pachymetra resistance,” Dr Rosewarne said.

“From this work we have a prediction equation which enables us to analyse brand new germplasm straight out of the honeymoon suite by taking a DNA sample from the baby leaves.”

Dr Rosewarne said the approach would allow earlier and more accurate selection of promising lines.

“The impact it has on a breeding program is a complete game changer,” he said.

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