4d.Progress report.
This report serves to document research conducted under a Non-Funded Cooperative Agreement between the Agricultural Research Service’s (ARS) Sugarcane Research Unit (SRU) and the Centro Guatemalteco de Investigación y Capacitación de la Caña de Azúcar (CENGICAÑA) in Guatemala. Additional details of research can be found in the report for the parent research project 6435-21000-012-00D, Genetic Improvement of Sugarcane by Conventional and Molecular Approaches. The objective of this cooperative research project is to obtain improved efficiency in the development and testing of new sugarcane varieties through exchange and evaluation of germplasm with the ultimate goal of releasing new, higher-yielding pest-resistant sugarcane varieties. To accomplish this objective, ARS and the Cooperator will exchange seed, experimental lines, and/or new varieties for use in their respective breeding programs and/or for testing and evaluation for specific traits of interest or as commercial varieties. In December 2004, the Sugarcane Research Unit at Houma, Louisiana, sent 10 clones consisting of commercial and experimental varieties to CENGICAÑA for use as parental lines in their breeding program.