Selecting Parents, Families, and Clones to Obtain Energy Cane

Core Ideas The results presented the possibility of selection of energy cane clones. Develop energy cane clones with high fiber contents, involving Saccharum spontaneum accesses. We found clones with high fiber content and high sucrose levels. Sugarcane ( Saccharum spp.) is a crop with a high potential for biomass production. Sugarcane residue and bagasse can be used in the production of ethanol and electricity. The genetic breeding program of the Inter‐University Network for the Development of the Sugarcane Industry (RIDESA) initiated a hybridization program that includes species of the Saccharum complex. The objective of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity in selected segregating populations, select the best families and clones, and identify potential parents for inclusion in the next phase of the energy cane breeding program to develop energy cane cultivars. In the present study, 50 full‐sib families and 15 half‐sib families were crossed. The traits evaluated were: the mean number of stalks per plant (NS), the mean stalk weight, fiber content, % (FIB%), and sucrose content, % (SC%). The industrial traits evaluated were: tonnes of cane per hectare (TCH), tonnes of fiber per hectare (TFH), and tonnes of sucrose per hectare (TSH). The best‐performing parents were RB867515, RB93509, Co285, B70710, MEX68‐200, IM76‐228, and IM76‐229. The heritability (0.49–0.91) and accuracy values (0.70–0.95) for the parameters TCH, FIB, and SC indicated that the predicted genotypic means and observed values were highly correlated, which enabled the efficient selection of the best energy cane families. The genetic variability in the segregating populations and the identification of clones with valuable traits indicate the possibility of using superior genotypes in new crosses and future hybridizations and developing new strategies to evaluate and select energy cane families.