2005 Annual Report 4d.Progress report. This serves to document research conducted under a trust fund that ARS has with the Florida Sugar Cane League, Inc. Additional details of research can be found in the report for the parent project 6625-13210-002-00D Sugarcane Germplasm Enhancement and Diversification to Develop Sustainable Agricultural Systems. The Florida sugarcane development program requires at least 9 years to develop a commercial cultivar from the time a cross is made. There were 2178 female tassels set in 959 crosses that produced an estimated 552,781 seeds for the ARS breeding program at Canal Point, FL. Selections advance through intermediate stages yearly, and are advanced based on selection criteria such as high sucrose content, high cane yields, disease resistance or tolerance, and cold water tolerance. In the final stage, selections are evaluated over a three-crop cycle (plant-cane, first ratoon, and second-ratoon crops) on farms of 10 cooperating growers. One cultivar, CP 98-1029, was recommended for release in 2005.