A Core Collection for Saccharum spontaneum L. from the World Collection of Sugarcane

Abstract

Vegetative maintenance of the large number of Saccharum spontaneum clones in the World Collection is extremely laborious and expensive. A core subset, chosen to represent the range of diversity of the World Collection, can enhance preservation research and exploit the potential value for breeding. A total of 342 accessions of S. spontaneum from the World Collection at the USDA‐ARS National Germplasm Repository in Miami, FL, were used to evaluate various sampling strategies for choosing a core collection of this species and to designate a core collection of 75 clones using geographic origin and characterization data. Eleven sampling methods with 11 quantitative traits were used to designate the 75 clones in the core collection. The efficiency of sampling was increased by stratification by geographical grouping of accessions before a stratified random sampling procedure was carried out. Cluster analysis was used within each geographic region based on retained principal components with morphological variables, followed by random selection of entries within each cluster for designating the core collection. In addition to the efficient use of S. spontaneum, this core collection should prevent the loss of significant components of the World Collection, ensure better use of limited resources, and enhance conservation research.