4d.Progress report.
This report serves to document research conducted under a Trust Agreement between the Agricultural Research Service's (ARS) Sugarcane Research Unit (SRU) and the American Sugar Cane League of the U.S.A. This agreement replaces the research project 6435-21000-012-01T, "Improving Sugarcane Productivity by Conventional and Molecular Approaches to Genetic Development," which expired 04/03/05. Progress for this project was reported in the final report of the expired project. 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."

ARS scientists at Houma, Louisiana, made a comprehensive molecular analysis of the quality of genetic crosses made at Canal Point, Florida and at Houma, Louisiana, using high-throughput microsatellite deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) technology. This technology allowed us to see for the first time, the impact of traditional protocols on the quality of our crosses. We learned that pollen contamination might occur at an unacceptable rate when traditional protocols are followed. As a result of what we learned, more stringent protocols will be followed in the future, which should result in a significant improvement in the overall quality of progeny set to the field for selection in the future.