INTERUNIVERSITY NETWORK FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SUGAR ENERGY SECTOR
FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF SÃO CARLOS
SUGARCANE BREEDING PROGRAM
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History
The history of the PMGCA began in 1971, when PLANALSUCAR—the National Sugarcane Improvement Program—was established, designated as a research area of the former IAA—the Sugar and Alcohol Institute. The objective was to renew the available range of sugarcane varieties, including some imported ones, upon which the country's sugar and alcohol production was based. These varieties were represented by old varieties that had been cultivated for several years, showed clear signs of deterioration, or had been bred to meet the specific conditions of only a few producing regions. The creation of the new program coincided with the expansion generated by the Proálcool program (Proálcool) for the expansion of sugarcane cultivation. This scenario was ideal for absorbing the new genotypes, many of which were characterized by eclecticism and, thus, met the significant diversity of soil and climate conditions created by the expansion of cultivation areas.
Image 1. IAA - Planalsucar.
In its initial phase, the program had national scope, with experimental stations distributed throughout the main sugar and ethanol-producing states. During this period, varieties identified by the acronym RB were created, which still represent a significant percentage of the cultivated area today, such as RB72454. After the dissolution of PLANALSUCAR, which occurred simultaneously with the dissolution of the IAA in 1990, RIDESA – the Interinstitutional Network for the Development of the Sugar and Alcohol Sector, a group composed of 10 universities, and more recently the Federal Universities of Piauí and Mato Grosso, absorbed all the research work previously developed by PLANALSUCAR, thus not only continuing the program for creating new varieties but also expanding it to meet the growing demand of the sector, including varieties that allow for an extended harvest period, with the creation of earlier varieties.
The universities that make up RIDESA are the following:
Image 2. Federal universities that are members of RIDESA.
The PMGCA, a program developed by UFSCar, continued its operations nationwide, interacting with researchers from other universities participating in RIDESA, but focusing on the Southeast region. The seeds used in the selection process continued to be produced at the Crossing Station in Serra do Ouro, Alagoas. To facilitate the execution of the program's activities, a partnership was established with producers interested in collaborating in the development of new varieties. The experimental phases of the program were then distributed to collaborators' areas, who thus actively participated in the genetic selection process.
This program has been constantly renewed, with a growing number of partner companies. As a result, in this new phase of the PMGCA's existence, thirty-four varieties have been released: five in 1992, four in 1995, six in 1998, four in 2001, four in 2006, two in 2010, four in 2015, and finally, five in the most recent release in 2021.