Breeding innovations focused on drought tolerance, and Nitrogen and phosphorus uptake, for sustainable and climate-resilient sugarcane
4 affiliations
- 1Instituto de Tecnología Agroindustrial del Noroeste Argentino (ITANOA), Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres (EEAOC) – Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)
- 2Departamento de Biotecnologia e Producão Vegetal e Animal, Centro de Ciências Agrarias, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar)
- 3Sugarcane Breeding Program of Rede Interuniversitária para o Desenvolvimento do Setor Sucroenergético (RIDESA)/UFSCar
- 4Departamento de Recursos Naturais e Proteção Ambiental, Centro de Ciências Agrarias, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar)
Abstract
Sugarcane ( Saccharum spp.) is a strategic agro-industrial crop with a central role in global sugar production, bioethanol generation, and the development of sustainable bioeconomy systems. Beyond sugar, sugarcane by-products such as bagasse, molasses, and vinasse represent valuable resources for renewable energy, biofuels, biopolymers, and circular production systems. However, climate change threatens sugarcane productivity worldwide through increased temperatures, irregular rainfall patterns, and intensified drought events, directly affecting biomass accumulation, photosynthesis, and crop yield. This review summarizes current advances in climate-resilient sugarcane breeding and sustainable nutrient management strategies, with emphasis on drought tolerance, nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE), and phosphorus-use efficiency (PUE). Drought induces significant physiological, biochemical, and molecular alterations in sugarcane, including reduced growth, impaired photosynthetic activity, osmotic imbalance, and oxidative stress. Advances in breeding programs, omics technologies, molecular markers, and genetic engineering have improved the understanding of drought tolerance mechanisms and enabled the identification of stress-responsive genes, transcription factors, and candidate molecular markers associated with resilience. In parallel, improving NUE and PUE has become essential to reduce fertilizer dependence and mitigate environmental impacts associated with nutrient losses. Integrated management strategies involving enhanced-efficiency fertilizers, precision agriculture, biological Nitrogen fixation, microbial inoculants, residue recycling, and the development of nutrient-efficient genotypes have shown promising results. Although significant progress has been achieved in genomics and biotechnology, the genetic complexity of sugarcane and limited knowledge of nutrient-related pathways still constrain the development of highly efficient cultivars. The integration of advanced breeding technologies with sustainable agronomic practices will be crucial to ensure resilient and environmentally sustainable sugarcane production under future climate scenarios.
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BibTeX
@article{perera2026breeding,
title = {{Breeding innovations focused on drought tolerance, and Nitrogen and phosphorus uptake, for sustainable and climate-resilient sugarcane}},
author = {María Francisca Perera and Josefina Racedo and Aline Cestaro Salla Sá and Joao Vitor de Mello Vomero and Thiago Willian Almeida Balsalobre and Marcio Roberto Soares and Monalisa Sampaio Carneiro},
journal = {Frontiers in Plant Science},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpls.2026.1925822},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2026.1925822/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Breeding innovations focused on drought tolerance, and Nitrogen and phosphorus uptake, for sustainable and climate-resilient sugarcane
AU - María Francisca Perera
AU - Josefina Racedo
AU - Aline Cestaro Salla Sá
AU - Joao Vitor de Mello Vomero
AU - Thiago Willian Almeida Balsalobre
AU - Marcio Roberto Soares
AU - Monalisa Sampaio Carneiro
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/05
JO - Frontiers in Plant Science
DO - 10.3389/fpls.2026.1925822
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2026.1925822/full
AB - Sugarcane ( Saccharum spp.) is a strategic agro-industrial crop with a central role in global sugar production, bioethanol generation, and the development of sustainable bioeconomy systems. Beyond sugar, sugarcane by-products such as bagasse, molasses, and vinasse represent valuable resources for renewable energy, biofuels, biopolymers, and circular production systems. However, climate change threatens sugarcane productivity worldwide through increased temperatures, irregular rainfall patterns, and intensified drought events, directly affecting biomass accumulation, photosynthesis, and crop yield. This review summarizes current advances in climate-resilient sugarcane breeding and sustainable nutrient management strategies, with emphasis on drought tolerance, nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE), and phosphorus-use efficiency (PUE). Drought induces significant physiological, biochemical, and molecular alterations in sugarcane, including reduced growth, impaired photosynthetic activity, osmotic imbalance, and oxidative stress. Advances in breeding programs, omics technologies, molecular markers, and genetic engineering have improved the understanding of drought tolerance mechanisms and enabled the identification of stress-responsive genes, transcription factors, and candidate molecular markers associated with resilience. In parallel, improving NUE and PUE has become essential to reduce fertilizer dependence and mitigate environmental impacts associated with nutrient losses. Integrated management strategies involving enhanced-efficiency fertilizers, precision agriculture, biological Nitrogen fixation, microbial inoculants, residue recycling, and the development of nutrient-efficient genotypes have shown promising results. Although significant progress has been achieved in genomics and biotechnology, the genetic complexity of sugarcane and limited knowledge of nutrient-related pathways still constrain the development of highly efficient cultivars. The integration of advanced breeding technologies with sustainable agronomic practices will be crucial to ensure resilient and environmentally sustainable sugarcane production under future climate scenarios.
SN - 1664-462X
ER -