Sugarcane, unlike rice, is not an easy crop for genetic studies because it has a highly complex genetic makeup.
Identification of molecular markers for a particular trait is time-consuming. However, scientists at the LSU AgCenter are now developing molecular genetics tools to complement conventional breeding for development of improved varieties. Their approach is two-fold: 1) use modern molecular biology and genomics (genetics of the total gene pool of the crop) tools, such as gene expression, genetic mapping, etc., to identify molecular markers linked to a particular trait, and 2) use the molecular markers from the development pipeline in marker-assisted selection to enhance the efficiency of traditional breeding.