SUGARCANE

Saccharum officinarum Linn.

 Learning Objectives:

• To identify Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum Linn.) from its

center of origin, center of diversity, geographic distribution,
ancestors of the crop, and chromosome number, wild relatives,
factors that contributed to the evolution, characteristics of
current varieties of the crop, and morphological changes of the
crop from before to now

• Differentiate the ancestor and the crop now.

 Introduction

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) is a member of the

Andropogoneae tribe of the Poaceae (grass) family. Modern
sugarcane cultivars are derived essentially from interspecific
hybridisations involving different Saccharum species
(Simmonds, 1976; Daniels and Roach, 1987). The Saccharum
genus is complex and is characterised by high polyploidy and
frequent aneuploidy (Bremer, 1961). Moreover, chromosomal
mosaicism has been confirmed in sugarcane clones as a common
phenomenon (Heinz et al., 1977).
Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) is a
vigorous and rapidly growing perennial grass
and is one of the major industrial crops in the
Philippines.
Center of Origin
Sugarcane is an ancient crop and
its use as a garden crop dates
back to around 2500 BC. The
centres of origin for the
ancestral species giving rise to
sugarcane are thought to be
Papua New Guinea, the People’s
Republic of China (hereafter
“China”) and India.
Center of of Diversity
Center
Diversity
The genus Saccharum probably originated before the continents
assumed their current shapes and locations. The genus consists of
35–40 species and has two centers of diversity: the Old World (Asia
and Africa) and the New World (North, Central and South
America). Asia has approximately 25 native species, North America
six native species and four or five introduced species, and Central
America has three or four native and some introduced species
(Webster and Shaw 1995). Africa has two native and Australia have
one naturalized species (Darke 1999; Bonnett et al. 2008).
 Geographic
Distribution
Geographic Distribution
Sugarcane is grown in all tropical and
subtropical regions of the world, on both
sides of the equator, up to approximately 35°
N and 35° S (van Dillewijn 1952; Gomes and
Lima 1964). In 2007, the main sugarcane-
producing countries were Brazil (33% of the
world’s production), India (23%), China
(7%), Thailand (4%), Pakistan (4%), Mexico
(3%), Colombia (3%), Australia (2%), the
United States (2%) and the Philippines (2%)
(FNP 2009).
Modern sugarcane cultivars (Saccharum spp.) are high polyploids, aneuploids
derived from interspecific
Ancestors ofhybridizations
the crops between the domesticated sweet species
Saccharum officinarum and the wild species S. spontaneum. Backcrossing to S.
officinarum or other cultivars recovers the high sugar phenotype inherited from S.
officinarum while retaining the disease resistance and good ratooning of the wild
S. spontaneum parent. S. officinarum and S. spontaneum are thought to be the
ancestors of modern cultivated sugarcane of which 70–80% from S. officinarum,
10–20% from S. spontaneum and about 10% from interspecific recombination.

Ancestors of
the crop
The origins of S. officinarum are intimately
associated with the activities of humans, as S.
officinarum is a purely cultivated or garden
species which is not found in the wild
(Sreenivasan et al., 1987). It has been proposed
that S. officinarum evolved from the selection of
sweet forms of S. robustum. The canes may have
previously been used for house building, fencing
and archery (Daniels and Roach, 1987) and may
have been selected with the aid of animals such
as pigs or rats that would have a preference for
sweeter individual plants (Daniels and Roach,
1987)
S. Spontaneum is believed to have evolved in
southern Asia (Daniels and Roach, 1987). It
accumulates little sucrose content and has
thinner stalks and higher fibre content than S.
officinarum (Jackson, 2005). Saccharum
spontaneum is an adaptable species and grows
in a wide range of habitats and at various
altitudes in the tropics through to temperate
regions, from latitude 8°S to 40°N extending
across three geographical zones.
Morphological Changes of crop from before to now
Sugarcane has undergone various morphological changes over time due
to selective breeding and genetic modification. Some notable changes
include:
Increased Sucrose Content: Breeding programs have focused on
developing sugarcane varieties with higher sucrose content, leading to
sweeter and more productive plants.
Disease Resistance: Efforts have been made to create disease-resistant
sugarcane varieties, reducing the impact of diseases like smut and rust.
 Growth Habit: Sugarcane varieties have been selected for improved
growth habits, such as shorter internodes, which make harvesting easier.
Cold Tolerance: Varieties with improved cold tolerance have been
developed to expand sugarcane cultivation to cooler regions.
Reduced Flowering: Flowering in sugarcane can reduce sugar yield, so
some varieties have been modified to delay or reduce flowering.
Pest Resistance: Genetic modification has been used to make sugarcane
more resistant to pests like the sugarcane borer.
 Chromosome
Number

Cultivated sugarcane is derived from inter-specific hybridisation

between, in the main, two polyploid species S. officinarum L. and S.
spontaneum L. which have different basic chromosome numbers. The
resultant cultivars are complex aneu-polyploids with chromosome
numbers of 2n = 100-120.The resultant cultivars are complex aneu-
polyploids with chromosome numbers of 2n = 100-120. In the production
of modern cultivars derived from the initial hybrid, the 2n transmission
that occurs from S. officinarum in the primary cross has been used to
advantage.
 Comparison of the
ancestors and the crop
now
• Saccharum officinarum (2n = 80) has high sugar content and low fiber, but poor
disease resistance. S. spontaneum (2n = 36–128) is a low sugar, high fiber,
disease-resistant species.

• Modern sugarcane cultivars are mainly derived from interspecific hybridization

between S. officinarum and S. spontaneum to combine high sugar content from
S. officinarum and disease resistance from S. spontaneum. Sugarcane uses a C4
mechanism of photosynthesis similar to other tropical grasses, where the carbon
dioxide for photosynthesis is initially fixed by phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP)
carboxylase to form a four-carbon compound (Hatch and Slack, 1966).
Saccharum spontaneum is a highly
polymorphic, disease-resistant, vigorous
Wild
species with relatives
high fibre content. It has 2n=40
to 128 chromosomes and is a complex
polyploid with a probable basic chromosome
number of 8 or 10 (D’Hont et al., 1996;
Panje and Babu, 1960; Sreenivasan et al.,
1987).

Wild relatives
Saccharum robustum is a wild species.
It is thought to have a most recent
common ancestor with S. officinarum
(Brown et al., 2007; D’Hont et al.,
1998) and there is some speculation that
it may be the product of introgression
between ancestors of S. spontaneum
and S. officinarum (as discussed in
Daniels and Roach, 1987).
The wild sugarcane species, Erianthus
arundinaceus, was evaluated for its stalk
characters, biomass production, fiber
content and juice quality. This species
has the potential to provide fiber as raw
material for paper manufacture, bio-
fermentation of juice into alcohol and
energy through cogeneration. So far no
systematic evaluation of this semi-
wildspecies has been done for biomass
yield, fiber content and quality, and no
program to cultivate it for its co-products
ever attempted.
Miscanthus species have long been used for
grazing and structural materials in China and
Japan and have only recently become of
interest for energy. Long recognized for their
ornamental value, and as a germplasm
source of stress tolerance in sugarcane
breeding, Miscanthus species are now found
and commonly naturalized in North and
South America as well as in Europe, Africa,
Asia and Europe (Clayton et al., 2008;
Scally et al., 2001).
The evolution of sugarcane has been influenced by several key factors over its long
history:

Natural Selection: Sugarcane’s wild ancestors evolved traits that allowed them to
survive and thrive in their natural habitats. These traits included efficient energy
storage in the form of sucrose, which provided a competitive advantage.
Human Cultivation: Humans have cultivated sugarcane for thousands of years. As
they selected and propagated plants with desirable traits like higher sugar content
and better yield, they unintentionally influenced the plant’s evolution.
Trade and Migration: The spread of sugarcane across different regions and
continents through trade and migration introduced the plant to new environments. In
these new locations, sugarcane adapted to local conditions, resulting in different
varieties.
Selective Breeding: Over time, humans began intentionally breeding sugarcane for
specific traits, such as sweetness, disease resistance, and productivity. This selective
breeding accelerated the evolution of sugarcane.
Modern Genetic Modification: In recent decades, advances in biotechnology have
allowed for more precise genetic modification of sugarcane to enhance desired traits,
such as pest resistance and increased sugar content.
Environmental Pressures: Environmental factors, such as changing climates and the
presence of pests and diseases, have exerted selective pressures on sugarcane,
driving adaptations and evolution to survive in varying conditions.
Research and Innovation: Scientific research and innovation in agriculture have
played a significant role in shaping the evolution of sugarcane, leading to the
development of new varieties and cultivation techniques.
 Characteristics of the current
varieties of crop

• A sugarcane plant is a tuft of between 5 and 20 upright stems, or

“tillers”, 2 to 5 metres tall and 2 to 4 centimetres in diameter.
Each stem is a succession of nodes and internodes; each node
bears a bud and a band of root primordia.
• The plants bear many long, narrow leaves.
• The root system is both dense and deep.
• The inflorescence, or spike, is a panicle comprising a multitude of
flowers that produce tiny seeds, known as “fuzz”.
• Like maize and sorghum, sugarcane is a “C4” plant. Their specific
functioning enables them to absorb much more carbon dioxide (CO2)
and sunlight than other plants. In exchange, they also give off more
oxygen and produce substantial amounts of biomass. In sugarcane,
this hyperactivity results in luxuriant vegetation and high sugar
content.
 The End of Our
Presentation

Thank you and Godbless everyone! 😊