Advances in the selection program of sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) varieties in the Colegio de Postgraduados.

Objective: To evaluate the progress in each of the stages of the selection program of sugarcane varieties that has been carried out at the Colegio de Postgraduados Campus Córdoba (Mexico) since 2009. Design/methodology/approach: The breeding program employed the methodology developed by the Institute for the Improvement of Sugar Production (Instituto para el Mejoramiento de la Producción de Azúcar, IMPA). For the varietal description, we employed the protocol of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV). Results: In 2009, the Colegio de Postgraduados Campus Córdoba started the varietal selection program with more than six thousand hybrids from 40 crosses, from which 4422 materials were selected after they showed resistance to the sugarcane mosaic virus. From the 4422 materials in the Seedling phase, 352 clones were selected and evaluated in the Furrow phase, selecting 57 varieties for the Plot phase. From those 57 varieties, 35 were selected in the Adaptability testing phase and 27 in the following Agroindustrial evaluation phase. Some of these 27 varieties show yields higher than 100 t ha^-1, more than 18 °Brix in juices, and good adaptability to different environments. Study limitations/implications: The current challenges of the breeding program are environmental due to climate change, economical due to the global recession that affects our country with budget cuts, and sociopolitical as a result of the organizational structure of national the sugarcane sector. Findings/conclusions: This variety breeding and selection program started with 6000 individuals from 40 crosses, of which to date there are 27 in advanced stages of selection, with the possibility of adaptation and good yields for the area of influence of the Campus Córdoba. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]