Scientists map sugarcane's drought survival traits for breeders
Pilloni R, Ribeiro RV, Christina M
Climate Adaptation
If you've ever wondered why sugar prices swing with bad weather, it's because most sugarcane relies entirely on rainfall, and this research is laying the groundwork for varieties that can shrug off dry spells.
Sugarcane is a thirsty crop, and most of it is grown without irrigation, so it's increasingly hurt by drought as rainfall patterns shift. Researchers reviewed how the plant's roots, leaf canopy, and water-saving tricks like closing its stomata change depending on its growth stage, especially during the early phase when drought stress can permanently stunt the whole season's yield. They argue that combining field sensors, digital tools, and crop models with traditional breeding is the best path to developing cane varieties that can handle a drier future.
Key Findings
Drought impacts during sugarcane's early 'formative growth phase' have long-lasting effects on canopy development and final yield, making this stage a key breeding target.
Water-use traits like stomatal regulation and transpiration efficiency vary by growth stage and are often confounded by canopy structure and microclimate, complicating trait measurement.
High-throughput field phenotyping, digital tools, and crop models are proposed to make complex drought-tolerance traits practical to use in breeding programs.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Sugarcane needs a lot of water to grow so productively, and as rainfed farming faces more drought, scientists are mapping which root, canopy, and water-saving traits breeders should target to create tougher, drought-resilient varieties.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Rainfed sugarcane under water limitation: agronomic challenges and breeding perspectives.
Sugarcane is a highly productive crop due to its high photosynthetic efficiency. Such productivity is associated with high water requirements, making sugarcane sensitive to water limitation. With a...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
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