Cultivation

More than half of the world's sugar is derived from sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum). By far the largest sugar cane cultivating country is Brazil, followed by India, China and Thailand. Losses due to pests and weeds are estimated at more than half of the actual yield.

In 2007/08, worldwide over 1.6 billions tons of sugar cane were produced from 22.7 million hectares.

Utilisation

Sugar cane is used

In foodstuffs and ingredients:

• sugar

• molasses, a syrup-like by-product of sugar production is the raw material for rum and other spirits

As animal feed:

• chaffed sugar cane as well as the bagasse, the fibrous remains of the plants after sugar production are fed to animals

As energy crops, renewable primary products:

• bioethanol used for fuel is produced from sugar cane and molasses. Brazil is the world leader in the use of bioethanol as fuel for cars, where biofuel has replaced almost 20% of the mineral oil and is derived from sugar cane. In Brazil, about 3 per cent of the agriculturally used land is cultivated with sugarcane for the production of ethanol.
• bagasse is used as a fuel, for producing electricity, for manufacturing paper and cardboard as well as material similar to pressboard for furniture, doors and in car manufacturing.

Gene technology: aims of research and development

Agronomic traits

Resistance against pathogens

• Virus resistance, e.g. against mosaic viruses

• Fungal resistance
• Bacterial resistance

Weed control

• Tolerance to herbicides containing the active ingredient glyphosate

Resistance to pests

• Insect resistance, in particular against borers, the larvae of certain butterflies.

Adaptation to climate and location factors

• Drought resistance

• Higher tolerance to salt for cultivation on high-saline soils

Renewable primary products, energy crops

Production of bioethanol

• Increased sugar content

Production of pharmaceutically active substances

• Molecular pharming: use as a bioreactor to produce pharmaceuticals

Field trials with GM sugarcane