New sugarcane presents resistance to borer and glyphosate herbicide

Field tests of BtRR sugarcane, genetically modified varieties of sugarcane that combine two modes of action to ensure resistance to the sugarcane borer and the commercial herbicide glyphosate, used to control invasive plants, are in the final phase. Developed in the laboratories of Embrapa Agroenergia (DF) in partnership with startup PangeiaBiotech, the varieties demonstrated resistance to the application of four times the commercial dosage of the herbicide glyphosate and to infestation with sugarcane borer larvae in a greenhouse.

The project combined two resistance genes with different modes of action to increase sugarcane protection against the borer plus the gene that confers resistance to the herbicide glyphosate.

For the genetic transformation of sugarcane, genes with freedom of exploitation were selected (in English, FreedomtoOperate – FTO) commonly used in soybean, corn and cotton crops in Brazil and which have now been adapted for sugarcane.

The FTO certificate was granted in January 2019 by the company ClarkeModet & Co, hired to perform the prior analysis for each gene used in the research, which includes checking the existence of third-party registrations or patents, and also Brazilian legislation. The result showed that there is no protection in Brazilian territory for the commercial exploitation of BtRR sugarcane.

Brazil is the world's largest producer of sugar cane, which is one of the activities that most drive the economy. According to the Sugarcane Technology Institute (ITC), the sector represents 2% of the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Sugarcane is also among the most versatile crops in agribusiness, from which sugar, ethanol, biomass, as well as other inputs such as cattle feed, the manufacture of rapadura, brandy, molasses, proteins, amino acids and even ecological plastic are obtained.

“The great difference of this technology is the expression of two bioinsecticide proteins throughout the entire length of the plant, toxic to susceptible insects, but harmless to other organisms. Two modes of action increase the useful life of the technology”, explains Embrapa Agroenergia researcher Hugo Molinari, project leader. “In addition to this, herbicide resistance facilitates the management of weeds in the field”, he adds.

“Double transgenics” makes it difficult to break resistance, optimizing control of the sugarcane borer, carried out through chemical insecticides and biological control. Currently, the market has two transgenic sugarcane varieties (CTC20Bt and CTC9001Bt), developed by the Sugarcane Technology Center (CTC) for resistance to sugarcane borer, however, with only one Cry protein and no resistance to glyphosate herbicide.

Business opportunity with sugarcane 

Embrapa Agroenergia and PangeiaBiotech are looking for partner companies to place the new BtRR sugarcane variety on the market. The researchers are looking for interested parties in licensing the technology to insert the active ingredient into other existing commercial varieties, or for co-development for the deregulation stages of transgenic events, which includes carrying out biosafety tests for genetically modified organisms, a mandatory step before the commercial launch of the variety.

To learn more, visit the Embrapa Agroenergia Technological Showcase. 

Savings on agricultural inputs and operations

The direct benefits of using the new technology include, in addition to crop protection, savings in the cost of applying insecticides and herbicides, greater control efficiency and fewer agricultural operations.

In the literature, losses of up to 85% are reported on ratoon crops and up to 100% on sugar cane caused by weeds. When established in sugarcane fields, they interfere with their development and reduce agricultural productivity, mainly due to their high capacity to compete for environmental resources (nutrients, water and light) and the production of toxic substances that hinder the formation of absorbent hairs on the roots of the crop. .

The longer the weeds coexist with the crop, the greater the impact caused, particularly if this coexistence occurs in the first 90 days of the sugarcane cycle. Silk Grass (Cynodondactylon) is among the main weeds of sugar cane.

R$5 billion in losses each harvest

The sugarcane borer (Diatraeasaccharalis) It is currently the main pest of sugarcane. The young caterpillar feeds on the leaf and then penetrates the softer parts of the stem, forming galleries that cause large losses of biomass. Studies indicate that its incidence and dispersion have been growing along with raw mechanized harvesting and the increase in straw in sugarcane crops, causing estimated losses of around R$5 billion per crop year, or R$2 thousand reais per hectare.

“The end result is lower production costs per ton in the areas that will be cultivated with transgenic sugarcane, when compared to conventional sugarcane. Therefore, we believe that it meets the sector’s demand for higher quality of raw materials and productivity”, states the researcher.

The BtRR sugarcane varieties have already been tested in a greenhouse and phenotyping of transgenic events in Embrapa's experimental field is planned for the second half of this year. This stage is known as Planned Release into the Environment (LPMA), and has already been authorized by the National Technical Biosafety Commission (CTNBio).

The development of transgenic sugarcane varieties for biological control of sugarcane borer and crop management with the herbicide glyphosate is the result of the project “Production of commercial varieties of transgenic sugarcane to increase biomass and production of 1G and 2G ethanol from the transfer of genes that confer resistance to the herbicide glyphosate and insect pests”, a partnership between Embrapa Agroenergia, the startup PangeiaBiotech, the Brazilian Industrial Research and Innovation Company (Embrapii) and the Service Brazilian Support for Micro and Small Businesses (Sebrae).

Pluricana research network begins new phase

Developing research that generates important information and technologies for the sugar-energy sector is the main objective of the Pluriannual Sugarcane Research project – Pluricana – which begins its Phase II in 2020. After six years of Phase I, the The project was remodeled to include new lines of research, prospected within the sector and identified as priority actions in the short, medium and long term.

For each new line of research, actions were selected that in Phase I had a high impact on scientific development and concrete possibilities for application by the sugar-energy sector. The five new thematic lines that make up the second phase of research are: Pre-breeding, Improvement, Production systems, Biotechnology and Biological Inputs.

Transgenic plant against the sugarcane weevil is already under development

In addition to the sugarcane borer (Diatraeasaccharalis), a new insect pest from the Coleoptera order has become a major problem for the sugar-energy sector. Called cane weevil (Sphenophoruslevis), this new pest does not yet have highly efficient chemical or biological control. Its incidence and dispersion have been growing along with raw mechanized harvesting and the increase in straw in sugarcane crops, causing losses estimated at R$2 billion annually.

Embrapa Agroenergia and the startup PangeiaBiotech have already generated more than a thousand transgenic events with a gene for resistance to this insect in three commercial varieties of sugarcane and the tests are at an advanced stage in greenhouse conditions. The selected events will be transferred to the multiplication field, according to CTNBio's determinations. The new sugarcane varieties can be considered an evolution of BtRR Sugarcane and are part of the scope of the Cana2+ project, a partnership between Embrapa Agroenergia, the startup PangeiaBiotech, and the Brazilian Industrial Research and Innovation Company (Embrapii).

The startup PangeiaBiotech Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento LTDA is a daughter company of Unicamp – Campinas SP and, since 2015, has been providing services in genetic transformation in sugarcane with support from FAPESP. It was founded by agronomist Dr. Paulo Cezar de Lucca, a professional focused on plant transformation since 1998 and with 13 years of experience in large private companies. Pangea has already produced more than 150 types of genetically modified sugarcane for researchers at universities, public and private companies.