Field Crop 2025, Vol.8, No.3, 102-112 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/fc 104 2.3 Genetic and environmental factors affecting flavor The formation of fresh sugarcane flavor is affected by both genotype and environment. In terms of genetic control, studies have identified key QTL loci and candidate genes that control sugar accumulation and volatile synthesis. For example, the use of TRAP molecular markers associated with specific loci can achieve genetic improvement of sucrose content (Govindakurup and Mohanraj, 2024). In addition, Shanmuganathan et al. (2024) found through metabolomics that some esters and alcohol compounds may be regulated by specific fatty acid metabolism genes, providing a direction for future metabolic engineering. In terms of environmental factors, light intensity, day and night temperature difference, soil fertility and maturity can significantly affect the accumulation of sucrose and aromatic components (Wang et al., 2020). For example, the sugar accumulation curves and aroma spectra of sugarcane in cultivation areas at different altitudes are different, suggesting that the ecological environment has a profound impact on flavor. In breeding practice, in order to improve the stability and adaptability of flavor, flavor testing and sensory scoring should be carried out in multiple environments to evaluate the flavor consistency of candidate varieties (Vinu et al., 2024). At the same time, phenotypic screening and molecular marker-assisted selection (MAS) should be combined to accumulate excellent flavor alleles in the early stages of breeding and improve the efficiency of flavor improvement. 3 Screening and Genetic Basis of Disease Resistance Traits in Fresh Sugarcane 3.1 Overview of common diseases of fresh sugarcane Fresh sugarcane faces a variety of disease threats during the planting process, mainly including red rot, leaf blight, mosaic virus disease, smut, powdery mildew and brown rust. Among them, sugarcane mosaic disease is caused by Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) and Sorghum mosaic virus (SrMV). It is one of the most serious virus diseases in the main sugarcane producing areas in southern China. It can cause mottled leaf patterns and dry leaf edges, seriously affecting photosynthesis and sugar production (Figure 1) (Vamsi Krishna et al., 2023). Figure 1 Mosaic symptoms varied from cultivar to cultivar (Adopted from Vamsi Krishna et al., 2023) Image caption: (a) chlorotic areas on pale green lamina; (b) systemic yellowing and marginal drying of leaf lamina; (c) systemic yellowing, drying, and stunting; (d) pale yellow-green leaves; (e) chlorotic streaks expand to large chlorotic patches; (f) chlorotic streaks; (g) systemic yellowing and complete drying; and (h) yellow chlorotic areas on green lamina (Adopted from Vamsi Krishna et al., 2023) Smut is infected by smut fungus, and the typical symptom is the emergence of "black smut" from the terminal bud, which destroys the growth point and seriously affects tillering and yield. Brown rust is caused by sugarcane rust fungus, which can form a large number of rust spots and sporangia. When the disease is severe, the sugarcane yield loss can be as high as 50% (Islam et al., 2025). In addition, fungal diseases such as powdery mildew, red rot and leaf blight also occur frequently in areas with suitable temperature and humidity, especially in perennial sugarcane or high-density planting conditions, where the disease spreads rapidly. The above diseases not only
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