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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Genotype × environment interactions in sugarcane between China and Australia

Xuekuan Chen A , Phillip Jackson B F , Wankuan Shen C , Haihua Deng C , Yuanhong Fan A , Qiwei Li C , Fengduo Hu D , Xianming Wei E and Jiayong Liu A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Yunnan Sugarcane Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 363 Eastern Linquan Road, Kaiyuan 661600, Yunnan Province, P.R. China.

B CSIRO Plant Industry, Australian Tropical Science Innovation Precinct, James Cook University, Private Mail Bag Aitkenvale, Qld 4814, Australia.

C Guangdong Key Lab of Sugarcane Improvement and Biorefinery, Guangzhou Sugarcane Industry Research Institute, 10 Shi Liu Guang Road, Chi Gang, Guangzhou, 510316, Guangdong Province, P. R. China.

D Burdekin Sugar Experiment Station, BSES Limited, PO Box 117, Ayr, Qld 4807, Australia.

E Mackay Sugar Experiment Station, BSES Limited, Peak Downs Highway, Te Kowai, PMB 57, Mackay Mail Centre, Qld 4741, Australia.

F Corresponding author. Email: Phillip.Jackson@csiro.au

Crop and Pasture Science 63(5) 459-466 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP12113
Submitted: 4 April 2012  Accepted: 26 June 2012   Published: 13 August 2012

Abstract

Sugarcane improvement has traditionally been conducted by nationally focussed breeding programs, with some exchange of elite cultivars among some programs. It has been generally assumed by breeders that genotype × country interactions are large, and therefore selection trial data in one country may be of limited relevance to another. However, no studies quantifying clone × country interactions have been reported to our knowledge. In research reported here, a common set of mostly unselected sugarcane genotypes was evaluated in commercial production environments in Australia and China. Consistent with past studies, genotype × site interaction was an important source of variation within each country. Overall a moderate to high genetic correlation existed between production environments in China and Australia for cane yield and sugar content (0.77 for both traits). This suggests that despite difference in environmental conditions and crop management in production environments between countries, that selection trials in China have some relevance for selecting clones for Australian environments and vice versa. It also supports the hypothesis that regular exchange of selected germplasm from effective breeding programs between countries will have mutual benefits.

Additional keywords: breeding, genetic correlations, germplasm exchange, selection.


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