Improving delivery from SRA Plant Breeding

Crossing was changed to make fewer cross combinations and generate larger populations from the highest value crosses. A long-term introgression program was established to exploit novel variation from wild relatives of sugarcane. Molecular markers for smut resistance were developed, validated and are now a routine part of early generation selection. The structure of Progeny Assessment Trials was changed to reduce the resources required for cross evaluation, and early generation selection pressure for smut resistance was applied. A range of fast-track breeding strategies were developed to shorten the time from cross to release, including a novel system using tissue culture, which is three years faster than the standard approach. Investment was made to double the scale of pachymetra-resistance screening allowing selection to be done at an earlier stage in the selection program, and a range of changes were made to improve the precision of Final Assessment Trials. The timing and quantity of clean seed transfer of new varieties was changed with several productivity service organisations improving availability to growers. Significant further technologies are in advanced stages of development, including molecular markers for pachymetra resistance, implementation of genomic selection, and incorporation of drone-based phenotypic data into selection decisions and the description of new variety performance.