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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Houma, Louisiana » Sugarcane Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #426744
Research Project: Development of Improved Sugarcane Varieties Adapted to Temperate Climates

Location: Sugarcane Research

Title: Registration of ‘L 15-306’ sugarcane

Author
item BLANCHARD, B - LSU Agcenter
item PONTIF, M - LSU Agcenter
item TAYLOR, Z - LSU Agcenter
item DAIGLE, M - LSU Agcenter
item KIMBENG, C - LSU Agcenter
item GAMA, A - LSU Agcenter
item BAISAKH, N - LSU Agcenter
item WILSON, B - LSU Agcenter
item ORGERON, ALBERT - LSU Agcenter
item GRAVOIS, K - LSU Agcenter
item Todd, James
item FOSTER, M - LSU Agcenter
item FINGER, A - American Sugar Cane League

Submitted to: Journal of Plant Registrations
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/24/2026
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: New sugarcane varieties are necessary for south Louisiana to increase diversity and increase yield. To fill this need, elite clones from the variety development program at the LSU Agcenter in St. Gabriel Louisiana are evaluated throughout Louisiana to identify new adapted cultivars to release for the region. One of these, L 15-306, had sugar yields, cane yield, sucrose content, stalk weight and stalk population comparable or statistically superior to the check cultivar L 01-299. L 15-306 is resistant to five common diseases (Leaf Scald, Smut, Mosaic, Rust, and Brown Stripe) but susceptible to sugarcane borers. This release of this cultivar gives the Louisiana industry a new high yielding cultivar with good yields and disease resistance.

Technical Abstract: The primary objective of the Louisiana Sugarcane Variety Development Program is to develop improved sugarcane varieties that are adapted to the South Louisiana production region. It is conducted through a collaborative effort involving the LSU AgCenter Sugar Research Station, the USDA-ARS Sugarcane Research Unit, and the American Sugar Cane League. The selection and release of L 15-306 to the commercial sugarcane growers of Louisiana aligns with the objectives of the program in providing another option for a well-adapted, disease-resistant, high sugar-yielding cultivar. In selection trials, L 15-306 consistently upheld its performance in five important agronomic traits (stalk weight, population, cane yield, sucrose content, and sugar yield) comparably or statistically better than L 01-299, the leading variety in hectares of the Louisiana industry. As ratoonability is a characteristic that is highly prioritized for increased profitability, an evaluation of ratoonability showed similar performance to L 01-299 in the yield consistency of L 15-306 over a three-crop cycle. Early physiological maturity coupled with a favorable response to ripener applications will allow the cultivar to fit nicely with the short growing season of Louisiana production. In response to stress assessments, L 15-306 is rated as moderately freeze-tolerant, resistant or highly resistant to five common diseases (Leaf Scald, Smut, Mosaic, Rust, and Brown Stripe), and susceptible to damage from infestation of the sugarcane borer. It has a medium-sized stalk with good canopy coverage, and it shares a common ancestry with many commercial cultivars with L 01-283 as its female parent and LCP 85-384 as its grandparent.