Australia-China sugarcane collaboration

New sugarcane hybrids are paving the way for the development of new and improved sugarcane varieties for Australian canegrowers, thanks to an Australia-China collaboration.

The hybrids are the result of the five year collaboration between China’s Guangzhou Sugarcane Industry Research Institute (GSIRI) and the BSES Limited and CSIRO joint venture in sugarcane improvement, led by CSIRO’s Dr Phil Jackson.

Of special interest are the hybrids between commercial sugarcane and a distantly related species, Erianthus arundinaceus, which is expected to confer resistance to a range of environmental stresses and diseases.

Funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research and the CRC for Sugar Industry Innovation through Biotechnology, the project has shown that trial results in China can be used to help identify the best performing crosses and varieties for Australia, and vice versa. For this reason, the BSES and CSIRO joint venture and GSIRI have agreed to continue exchanging data and seed.

China is the third largest sugar producer in the world, behind Brazil and India. Working with China will enhance the Australian sugarcane breeding program by providing ongoing access to new and diverse sources of breeding material and may lead to better varieties for the Australian sugar industry. 

An agreement has also been signed to pursue joint research in other areas of mutual interest, such as breeding sugarcane for energy production and for better performance in dry environments.

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