Transgenic Sugarcane Field Trials in Indonesia Exhibit Promising Results

Transgenic sugarcane overexpressing sucrose-phosphate synthase were evaluated under field trial conditions and were found to perform better than its non-transgenic counterparts without affecting bacterial diversity and soil rhizosphere. The field evaluation aids the selection of the best transgenic sugarcane line.

The transgenic sugarcane lines overexpressing the SoSPS1 gene from Indonesia were found to have increased sucrose phosphate synthase activity, sucrose content, and biomass in a previous greenhouse experiment. The lines were then cultivated to undergo field trials in four experimental stations located in different areas with different climate conditions and different soil types in five, randomized block-design replications.

The transgenic sugarcane in field trials exhibited the following:

• higher tiller number and plant height compared to the non-transgenic counterpart;
• higher percentage of Brix and Pol % in cane yield in comparison to the non-transgenic counterpart;
• higher cane yield in locations with normal irrigation, but higher Brix and Pol % was observed in areas with less water or dry land;
• bacterial biodiversity and soil rhizome were not affected by the planting of the transgenic sugarcane; and
• transgenic sugarcane did not affect the horizontal gene flow in the soil environment.

The field trials will help in the selection of the transgenic sugarcane line best suited for specific agro-climatic conditions to identify a variety with increased sugar yield intended for sustainable agriculture.

Read more in Sugar Tech.