General and specific combining ability for cane yield and implications for sugarcane breeding

Abstract

General combining ability (GCA) referencing additive genetic effects and specific combining ability (SCA) referencing nonadditive effects have been applied for decades in maize (Zea mays L.) breeding and other crops to produce greater genetic gains in crop breeding. This study examined the magnitude of GCA and SCA for cane yield and evaluated potential for application in sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) breeding. Data were collected from unselected first‐stage breeding populations sourced from the irrigated, midlands (high‐altitude), and coastal breeding programs of the South African Sugarcane Research Institute. Cane yield data calculated from number of stalks, stalk height, and stalk diameter was analyzed using best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) analysis where female and male effects (GCA) and female × male interaction effects (SCA) were defined as random effects. There were significant (P < .05) female but nonsignificant male effects. Female × male interaction was highly significant (P < .001) and larger than both female and male effects, indicating higher SCA than GCA. Specific combining ability variance was 24% (midlands), 31% (coastal), and 57% (irrigated) higher than GCA. Genotypes with low GCA produced higher SCA. Crosses from parents originating from different breeding backgrounds produced higher SCA than those from the same backgrounds. Crosses with significant SCA produced 24–42% greater cane yield than those with nonsignificant SCA. Using GCA to develop parents with high breeding values and SCA to evaluate parent cross combinations will maximize exploitation of heterosis in sugarcane breeding. The results suggest the possibility to develop heterotic groups that are diverse and complementary as a strategy to optimize utilization of SCA.

Analysis of sugarcane × Saccharum spontaneum progeny for sugar and biomass traits

“…There seem to be evidence of nonadditive gene action for the yield component traits MC and SL as hybrid performance superseded those of both parents. Similar results of nonadditive gene action for the CY and CY components have been reported by Zhou (2021).…”

Five decades of productivity gains in the Louisiana sugar industry

“…This means, during a substantial part of the selection program, sucrose content is estimated with a comparatively higher degree of genetic determination or precision compared with cane yield. Studies have also shown that a greater proportion of the variance for cane yield is under nonadditive gene control, whereas for sucrose content it is under additive gene control (Hogarth, 1987; Hogarth et al., 1990; Mishasha et al., 2022; Zhou, 2020) and the narrow‐sense heritability for cane yield is low compared with sucrose content (Wei & Jackson, 2017; Wei et al., 2017). Taken together these observations indicate that progeny performance based on parental selection should be more favorable for sucrose content compared with cane yield.…”

Diversity and Heterosis of Leaf Anatomical Traits in Backcross 1 (BC1) Derived from Interspecific Hybridization between Commercial Cane (Saccharum spp. Hybrid) and Wild Type (S. spontaneum)

“…In sugarcane, the presence of heterosis has been reported on cane yield, yield components, sugar, and juicy parameters. Zhou [46] found that crosses from different heterotic groups resulted in 24 to 42% higher cane yield than those derived from within heterotic groups. Verma and Singh [47] noticed high and positive heterosis on the number of millable canes per clump (60-80%), the number of internodes per cane (30-50%), stalk weight (50-70%), kg-brix (up to 250%), and commercial cane sugar (40-90%).…”