Genetic Improvement of Sugarcane ( Saccharum spp.) Contributed to High Sucrose Content in China Based on an Analysis of Newly Developed Varieties

In China, sugarcane ( Saccharum spp.) hybrid cross-breeding began in 1953; approximately 70 years since then, >100 commercial sugarcane varieties have been created. In this study, 88 commercial varieties bred in China between 1953 and 2010 and 12 original foundational varieties were planted to investigate the effect of improving sugarcane varieties in China. Considering 20 years as a time node, the commercial varieties were classified into four improved generations. Retrospective analysis showed significant improvements in sucrose and other technological characteristics of commercial sugarcane varieties. The adoption of improved varieties over generations has continuously increased sugarcane’s sucrose, juice sugar, and gravity purity, and the difference was significant between Gen1 and Gen3, and between Gen2 and Gen4. Gen4 showed 2.06%, 2.35%, and 3.69% higher sugarcane sucrose ( p < 0.01), juice sugar ( p < 0.01), and purity ( p < 0.05), respectively, and 1.13% lower sugarcane fiber ( p < 0.01) than Gen1, the original foundational hybrid varieties. The development of new varieties has improved the technological characteristics of Chinese sugarcane. Sugarcane sucrose, juice sugar, and purity showed an increasing trend. Sugarcane fiber content did not significantly change with the development of new varieties but declined in comparison with the original foundational hybrid varieties.