Kyushu Okinawa Agricultural Research Center, NARO

The Sugarcane Breeding Group is located on Tanegashima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture and is engaged in the development of new sugarcane varieties. Major developed varieties include Ni27 and Ni23, and Harunoougi is widely cultivated on Tanegashima (Table).
Because sugarcane is ratoon-cropped, breeding objectives include stable yields over multiple years, high sugar yield, and strong resistance to diseases.
In addition, with a view to the future multi-purpose use of sugarcane, improvements in biomass productivity are also targeted so that not only sugar but also fiber can be effectively utilized.
In sugarcane research, efforts are focused on variety improvement using wild sugarcane species and on studying genes that confer resistance to smut disease. (Figure).