Registration of 'L 79-1002' Sugarcane

'L 79-1002'(Reg. No. CV-132, PI 651501) sugarcane (a complex hybrid of Saccharum officinarum L., S. spontaneum L., S. barberi Jeswiet, and S. sinense Roxb. amend. Jeswiet) was released on 26 Apr. 2007 by the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center in cooperation with the USDA-ARS and the American Sugarcane League, Inc. The cross for L 79-1002, a F-1 hybrid, was made in 1974 using 'CP 52-68' as the female parent and Tainan, a S. spontaneum clone, as the male parent. Initial clonal selection was done in single stools. Testing was done from 1976 through 1983 in yield trials conducted in the traditional sugarcane growing area in south Louisiana and in the colder, non-sugarcane growing regions of north Louisiana. Yield testing was resumed in 2002 through 2005 as interest in biofuels research renewed. L 79-1002 was released for an emerging biofuels industry because of its high fiber content and biomass (cane yield) potential. Average fiber content for L 79-1002 is approximately 257 g kg(-1). The new cultivar also has excellent vigor and ratooning ability. Experiments conducted at Bossier City, Louisiana (32.1 degrees N lat) indicated a broader range of adaptability than sugarcane cultivars grown for the production of sucrose.