Primary Energy Cane production research locations, B. Baldwin, MS State
Energy cane (Sacharum spontaneum) is simply sugarcane that has been bred and selected for biomass or fiber production over sucrose production. Work has been ongoing at several deep south universities (LSU, MS State, FL) and federal labs (ARS) to evaluate the potential for this species. Energy cane grows well in more tropical climates but its range is limited by its cold tolerance. Other challenges include a lack of a clear dormancy period and disease susceptibility.
Miscane is a cross between sugarcane and miscanthus. This cross breeding was originally focused (decades ago) on transferring disease resistance genes from miscanthus to sugarcane, primarily in southeast Asia. However, biomass production increases were apparent, as was disease resistance, and more recent efforts have focused on the hybrid as a source of bioenergy. With sugarcane, the advantaged characteristics are late flowering (more biomass production) with high yield. Miscanthus brings more cold tolerance, early spring sprouting, a more defined dormant period for harvesting, and high yield as well to the hybrid.
This type of hybrid, miscane, is an example of a “wide hybrid.” This terminology is used to simply describe the crossing of two individuals from different species. The use of wide hybrids, especially in herbaceous crops, allows for the combining of beneficial traits such as yield from one species with cold tolerance of another species. Many wide hybrids are possible and under research, with miscane being the most common. These hybrids would rarely occur in nature. When they do occur in nature, they result in what really is a new species. Common challenges to generating a successful wide hybrid include sterility (difficult to achieve fertile offspring from the hybridization process) as well as morphological and physiological challenges. These challenges are why wide hybrids rarely occur in nature. Traditionally, wide hybrids have been used not to produce new species but to widen the gene pool of existing crops and to incorporate new traits into existing species.
By Sam Jackson, Ph.D., VP Business Development
