‘L 79‐1002’ (Reg. No. CV‐132, PI 651501) sugarcane (a complex hybrid of Saccharum officinarum L., S. spontaneum L., S. barberi Jeswiet, and S. sinense Roxb. amend. Jeswiet) was released on 26 Apr. 2007 by the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center in cooperation with the USDA‐ARS and the American Sugarcane League, Inc. The cross for L 79‐1002, a F1 hybrid, was made in 1974 using ‘CP 52‐68’ as the female parent and Tainan, a S. spontaneum clone, as the male parent. Initial clonal selection was done in single stools. Testing was done from 1976 through 1983 in yield trials conducted in the traditional sugarcane growing area in south Louisiana and in the colder, non‐sugarcane growing regions of north Louisiana. Yield testing was resumed in 2002 through 2005 as interest in biofuels research renewed. L 79‐1002 was released for an emerging biofuels industry because of its high fiber content and biomass (cane yield) potential. Average fiber content for L 79‐1002 is approximately 257 g kg−1 The new cultivar also has excellent vigor and ratooning ability. Experiments conducted at Bossier City, Louisiana (32.1° N lat) indicated a broader range of adaptability than sugarcane cultivars grown for the production of sucrose.

This article highlights the importance of raising soil organic matter in sandy and calcareous soils as it relates to increasing the water holding capacity of the soil. Farming in Florida on sandy soils has numerous limiting factors; one of which is it's low water holding capacity. By raising the soil organic matter content by just 1% can have a significant increase in soil water holding capacity. This would mean that soil would be able to hold more water for long durations. The prospect of increasiong water holding capacity in soils is great for agricultural productivity, and can have a significant impact on water conservation and usage.

PI 699125) sugarcane (an interspecific hybrid of Saccharum spp.) was released on 10 Apr. 2019 for commercial production in the Louisiana sugar industry. L 12-201 was derived from a cross between the female parent 'L 97-128' and the male parent 'HoCP 96-540'. Early-stage selection through the seedling and two unreplicated clonal stages by researchers at the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center culminated in the assignment of a permanent varietal designation in 2012. Thereafter, the experimental variety was further evaluated cooperatively with personnel from the USDA-ARS at Houma and the American Sugar Cane League, Inc., at Thibodaux, LA, through several stages at multiple locations. In the final testing stage, data were collected from 60 replicated, combine-harvested trials at 12 representative light-and heavy-textured soil locations. Averaged across the plant-cane crop, the sucrose content, cane yield, and sugar yield were significantly (P < .05) higher in L 12-201 than in 'L 01-299', the most widely grown cultivar in the Louisiana sugar industry. In the first-and second-ratoon crops, L 12-201 had significantly (P < .05) less cane yield and sugar yield than L 01-299, but sucrose content was not significantly different between L 12-201 and L 01-299. When averaged across the light-textured versus heavy-textured soil locations, no significant differences in performance were found for L 12-201 in any of the traits measured. The new cultivar had a lower stalk population and greater stalk weight compared with L 01-299, especially in the ratoon crops. L 12-201 is a mid-maturing cultivar. Whenever possible, L 12-201 should be harvested before the arrival of subfreezing temperatures because it is among the least cold tolerant cultivars in the industry. L 12-201 is resistant to sorghum mosaic, smut, leaf scald, and ratoon stunt; moderately resistant to brown rust; and susceptible to yellow leaf and the sugarcane borer.

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‘L 99‐226’ (Reg. No. CV‐138, PI 655533) sugarcane (a complex hybrid of Saccharum officinarum L., S. barberi Jeswiet, S. spontaneum L., and S. sinense Roxb. amend. Jeswiet) was released on 25 Apr. 2006 by the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center (LSU AgCenter) in cooperation with the USDA–ARS and the American Sugar Cane League, Inc. L 99‐226 was released because of its high sugar and cane yields along with excellent sucrose content. Data from 93 outfield trials indicate that L 99‐226 produced approximately 33% greater sugar yield and 9% greater sucrose content than ‘LCP 85‐384’ when averaged across all crops. The new cultivar is moderately resistant to brown rust disease (Puccinia melanocephala H. and P. Sydow), mosaic diseases, and the sugarcane borer (Diatraea saccharalis F.) and moderately susceptible to smut (Ustilago scitaminea Sydow & P. Sydow) and leaf scald [Xanthomonas albilineans (Ashby) Dowson]. The cross for L 99‐226 (XL94‐128) was made in fall 1994. Early stage clonal selection was done as single stools in 1996 followed by first clonal line trial selection in 1997 and second clonal line trial stage selection in 1998. Testing in replicated yield trials was conducted throughout the sugarcane growing area in south Louisiana from 2000 through 2005. Plant patent no. 18,807 was issued for L 99‐226 on 13 May 2008.