ARS | Publication request: Registration of 'CP 94-1100' Sugarcane

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: October 1, 2003
Publication Date: December 1, 2004
Citation: Edme, S.J., Gilbert, R., Comstock, J.C., Glaz, B.S., Tai, P., Miller, J.D., Dunckelman, J., Davidson, J. 2004. Registration of 'CP 94-1100' Sugarcane. Crop Science. 44:1869-1870.

Interpretive Summary: Sugarcane is grown on organic and sand soils in a region near Lake Okeechobee in south Florida. This region contributes about 25% of U.S. domestic sugar production. New cultivars that yield well on both soil types are needed, but only rarely are such cultivars identified. Experimental data of CP 94-1100 suggest that it may be one of these unique cultivars. On organic soils, the cane yield of CP 94-1100 was 9.2% higher than that of the commercial reference cultivar, CP 70-1133. Its sugar content was equal to that of CP 70-1133. Its high cane and acceptable sugar content resulted in a sugar per hectare yield and an economic index on organic soils that were 10% and 12.6% higher, respectively, for CP 94-1100 than for CP 70-1133. On sand soils, the cane yield and sugar content of CP 94-1100 were equal to and 6.1% higher, respectively, than those of CP 70-1133. The high cane and acceptable sugar content resulted in a sugar per hectare yield and an economic index on sand soils that were, respectively, 5.2% higher and 7.6% higher for CP 94-1100 than for CP 70-1133. Cultivar resistance and tolerance are the major sources of sugarcane disease control, but they are challenging to identify and quantify, because plants are growing and therefore exposed to disease pressures all year. CP 94-1100 has shown adequate resistance for commercial production in Florida to eye spot, smut, and to sugarcane mosaic virus, and moderate resistance to brown rust, leaf scald and to ratoon stunting disease. CP 94-1100 is susceptible to sugarcane yellow leaf virus, but its high yields in experimental plots were obtained regardless of this susceptibility. The commercial release of CP 94-1100 makes available to Florida growers a cultivar that maintains high yields in the presence of diseases, and therefore should help to continue providing the U.S. an affordable and stable sugar supply. Additionally, CP 94-1100 may be tested by farmers in Central America, who grow mostly Canal Point (CP) cultivars. CP 94-1100 was developed through cooperative research by the USDA-ARS, the University of Florida-Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, and the Florida Sugar Cane League, Inc., and was released in the autumn of 2004.

Technical Abstract: Sugarcane grown in a concentrated region near Lake Okeechobee in Florida produces 25% of the sugar produced in the U.S. The development of a constant supply of new sugarcane cultivars helps growers to respond to economic, pathological, and ecological pressures. The purpose of this research was to test yields, cold tolerance, and disease resistance of 14 new sugarcane genotypes in the plant-cane, first-ratoon, and second-ratoon crops in commercial fields at nine commercial sugarcane sites in Florida. CP 94-1100, an outstanding genotype in these tests, was selected among the progeny of a cross between CP 81-1238 (female parent) and CP 88-2045 (male parent). The male parent was derived from a cross made to broaden the germplasm in which a S. robustum clone (NG 77-132) was the female parent. CP 94-1100 was developed through cooperative research conducted by the USDA-ARS, the University of Florida-Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, and the Florida Sugar Cane League, Inc., and was released in the autumn of 2004. CP 94-1100 was recommended for commercial planting on both muck and sand soils because of high cane and sucrose yields when compared with the CP 70-1133 as a reference cultivar. CP 94-1100 has shown adequate resistance to some of the major diseases (smut, mosaic, and eye spot) in Florida, moderate resistance to rust, leaf scald, and to ratoon stunting disease. Based on its high sugar and tonnage yields in the presence of diseases prevalent in Florida, CP 94-1100 is expected to make a substantial commercial contribution to sugarcane production in Florida.