Genetic diversity and population structure of Saccharum hybrids.

Sugarcane breeding programs incorporate foreign material to broaden the genetic base, expanding the gene pool. In South America, the Inter-university Network for the Development of the Sugarcane Industry (RIDESA) and Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres (EEAOC) sugarcane breeding programs from Brazil and Argentina, respectively, have never exchanged materials. In that sense, the knowledge of the genetic diversity and population structure among sugarcane genotypes of both germplasm banks, determined in a reliable way through their molecular profiles, will provide valuable information to select the best parental accessions for crossing aimed at the efficient introgression of desirable alleles.