RESUMO A cana-de-açúcar (Saccharum spp.) é uma cultura importante para países tropicais e subtropicais, utilizada principalmente para produção de açúcar e biocombustível. A ferrugem alranjada, doença causada pelo fungo Puccinia kuehnii, pode reduzir a produtividade e prejudicar toda a cadeia industrial. Marcadores moleculares associados com genes de resistência podem auxiliar programas de melhoramento a confirmar introgressão de alelos favoráveis, encontrar novas fontes de resistência e liberar novas cultivares com resistência durável. No presente estudo os objetivos foram: (i) avaliar em campo a resistência a ferrugem alaranjada de 24 cultivares comerciais brasileiras; (ii) acessar a frequência do alelo do marcador G1 no conjunto de cultivares; e (iii) avaliar a utilidade do marcador G1 na predição de fenótipo resistente e seu pontencial na seleção assistida por marcadores. Uma escala diagramática, a qual varia de 1 (plantas sem sintomas) até 9 (plantas altamente suscetíveis), foi utilizada para determinar a severidade da doença. Quando consideramos como cultivares resistentes àquelas que tiveram média de severidade até 3, a eficiência do marcador G1 na predição do fenótipo resistente foi de 71.43%. Em adição, houve uma redução de 35% na média geral de severidade quando o marcador G1 foi presente. O marcador G1 é uma importante ferrramenta molecular que pode ser usada por programas de melhoramento na busca por cultivares de cana-de-açúcar resistentes a ferrugem alaranjada.

ABSTRACT Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.), an important crop for tropical and subtropical countries, is used in the production of sugar and biofuel. Orange rust, a disease caused by the fungus Puccinia kuehnii, can reduce the yield and harm the sugarcane industry. Molecular markers linked to resistance genes can help breeding programs confirm introgression of favorable alleles, find new resistance sources and release new cultivars that have durable resistance. In the current study, the aims were (i) to evaluate in the field the resistance to orange rust of 24 Brazilian commercial cultivars; (ii) to assess the frequency of the allele at G1 marker locus in the set of cultivars, and (iii) to study the usefulness of G1 marker to predict the resistant phenotype and its potential for marker assisted selection. A diagrammatic scale, which ranged from 1 (plants without symptoms) to 9 (highly susceptible plants), was used to determine the disease severity. Considering resistant cultivars those with mean severity up to 3, G1 marker efficiency in predicting the resistant phenotype was 71.43%. In addition, there was a reduction of 35% in the overall mean severity when G1 marker was present. G1 marker is an important molecular tool that can be used by breeding programs in the search for sugarcane cultivars resistant to orange rust.

Abstract RB985476 has a high tillering capacity, excellent canopy cover, high longevity, high agro-industrial yield, medium to low fiber content and high germination capacity after mechanical harvesting. RB985476 is resistant to smut, brown and orange rusts and recommended for harvest in the middle growing season in the south-central region of Brazil.

Abstract RB005014 was developed for the Brazilian central-south region, for harvesting between July and September and planting on soils that have moderate or higher fertility levels. It has high tillering, high sucrose yield, excellent ratooning ability after mechanical harvesting, resistance to the main diseases and carries the Bru1 gene of brown rust resistance.

RESUMO A ferrugem marrom causada pelo fungo Puccinia melanocephala é uma importante doença em cana-de-açúcar (Saccharum spp.) e está presente em praticamente todas as áreas de cultivo. Um gene de efeito maior, Bru1, foi descrito como fonte de resistência durável da cana-de-açúcar contra isolados de P. melanocephala. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a eficiência de dois marcadores moleculares fortemente associados ao gene Bru1, R12H16 e 9O20-F4-RsaI, para predição da resistência genética à ferrugem marrom em variedades de cana-de-açúcar. Para tanto, foram utilizadas neste estudo 14 variedades RB, desenvolvidas pela RIDESA (Rede Interuniversitária para o Desenvolvimento do Setor Sucroenergético), as quais estão entre as 10 mais cultivadas na região Centro-Sul do Brasil no período de 1974 a 2015. Para avaliação da doença a campo foi conduzido um experimento em blocos casualizados com quatro repetições. A severidade da ferrugem marrom foi quantificada de acordo com escala diagramática que varia de 1 (mais resistente) a 9 (mais suscetível) e os dados obtidos foram analisados através de modelo misto linear generalizado (GLMM). Concomitantemente, foi extraído o DNA total das 14 variedades e, em seguida, foi realizada amplificação dos marcadores moleculares, que foram classificados em haplótipos. Do total de variedades, 12 não mostraram sintomas da doença e, através da análise via GLMM, apresentaram probabilidade de 99,35% de serem resistentes; destas, 91,66% foram haplótipo 1, ou seja, tiveram a presença de ambos os marcadores associados ao gene Bru1. Portanto, pode-se concluir que os marcadores moleculares R12H16 e 9O20-F4-RsaI foram altamente eficientes em predizer fenótipos resistentes e que provavelmente o gene Bru1 seja a principal fonte de resistência de cana-de-açúcar à ferrugem marrom nos campos comerciais do Brasil.

ABSTRACT Brown rust caused by the fungus Puccinia melanocephala is an important disease affecting sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) and is present in almost all growing areas. A major effect gene, Bru1, was described as a durable resistance source in sugarcane against isolates of P. melanocephala. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of two molecular markers strongly associated with Bru1 gene, R12H16 and 9O20-F4-RsaI, for prediction of genetic resistance to brown rust in sugarcane varieties. Thus, this study included 14 RB varieties, developed by RIDESA (Interuniversity Network for the Development of the Sugarcane Industry), which were among the 10 most cultivated varieties in the central-south region of Brazil in the period of 1974-2015. To evaluate the disease in the field an experiment was conducted in randomized blocks with four replicates. The severity of brown rust was quantified according to a diagrammatic scale ranging from 1 (most resistant) to 9 (most susceptible), and the obtained data were analyzed by using a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM). Concomitantly, total DNA was extracted from the 14 varieties, followed by amplification of the molecular markers, which were classified into haplotypes. Out of the total varieties, 12 had no symptoms of the disease and showed 99.35% probability of being resistant according to analysis via GLMM; among them, 91.66% were haplotype 1, i.e., had the presence of both markers associated with Bru1 gene. Therefore, we can conclude that the molecular markers R12H16 and 9O20-F4-RsaI were highly efficient in predicting resistant phenotypes and that Bru1 gene is probably the main source of sugarcane resistance to brown rust in commercial fields in Brazil.

Abstract The sugarcane varieties RB975201 and RB975242 were developed and released for harvest at the end of the season (late maturation) in the Central-South region of Brazil. In specific environments, these varieties were compared with commercial standards in sugar yield per area. They are resistant to major sugarcane diseases and present the Bru1 gene of resistance to brown rust.

RB975952 is an early maturing sugarcane cultivar released for the South-Central region of Brazil. It should be harvested between April and May, and it is recommended for planting in environments with medium to high production potential. RB975952 has high resistance levels to the main diseases of the crop, it also has a good shoot development after mechanical harvesting, and high sucrose yields.

As variedades RB965902 e RB965917 foram desenvolvidas e liberadas para colheita no início até o meio da safra (maturação precoce/média) na região Centro-Sul do Brasil. Em ambientes específicos, essas variedades superam o padrão comercial RB855453 em produção de pol por área. Apresentam resistência às principais doenças da cana-de-açúcar.

The varieties RB965902 and RB965917 were developed for harvesting at the beginning to the middle of the sucrose extraction period (early/medium maturity) and released for the South-Central region of Brazil. In specific environments, the tons of Pol per area (sucrose yield) of these varieties is higher than of the commercial standard RB855453 and they are resistant to the main diseases of the crop.