2006 Annual Report 4d.Progress report. This serves to document research conducted under a non-funded cooperative agreement that ARS has with the University of Florida, IFAS, EREC, and 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 nine years to develop a commercial cultivar from the time a cross is made. In the 2005/2006 crossing season, 407 crosses using 451 female tassels to produce an estimated 172,891 seed were made and used by ARS in the Florida breeding program. An additional 197 crosses using 212 female tassels were used to produce an estimated 51,800 seed that were divided between the ARS Florida program and the ARS Louisiana program or the Texas A&M breeding program. 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 general adaptability. In the final stage, selections are evaluated over a three-crop cycle (plant-cane, first ratoon, and second-ratoon crops) on farms of ten cooperating growers.