Towards a reliable method to select potentially high value Erianthus hybrid

A key component of the sugarcane breeding program is introgression of new characteristics from wild species. Erianthus, a closely related genus to sugarcane, is a good candidate as it contains a number of traits of agronomic importance including pest and disease resistance and tolerance to drought and water-logging conditions. Fertile hybrids from intergeneric crosses between Saccharum officinarum and E. arundinaceus have been produced and studied. The chromosome composition of these hybrids was examined through the back-crossed generations and this revealed a loss of Erianthus chromosomes as well as recombinant chromosomes from both genera. There is potential that these recombinant chromosomes could be important in breeding if they are inherited stably during crossing. Good progress has also been made in developing a fast reliable method for identification of individual Erianthus chromosomes in the backcross hybrids. If important traits can be linked to Erianthus chromosomes then this method could become a valuable tool for sugarcane breeders as an effective selection screening method.