Plant Gene and Trait 2024, Vol.15, No.1, 23-32 http://genbreedpublisher.com/index.php/pgt 28 5.3 Support sustainable development Genomic selection also plays an important role in driving sustainable agricultural practices. Genomic selection can help reduce agriculture's dependence on natural resources by optimizing specific traits in sugarcane varieties, such as increased water use efficiency or improved nutrient uptake efficiency. For example, developing sugarcane varieties that can maintain high yields under lower fertilizer or water conditions can significantly reduce the pressure of agriculture on the environment and promote the development of agricultural production methods in a more environmentally friendly and resource-sustainable direction. Figure 2 Schematic illustrating primary plant traits of sugarcane that increase efficiencies in physiological and economic output (Adopted from Meena et al., 2022) In addition, genomic selection also provides new tools for stress-resistant breeding, helping to develop sugarcane varieties that can adapt to global climate change (Figure 3) (Verma et al., 2022). By identifying and breeding sugarcane varieties that can tolerate extreme environmental conditions such as high temperature, drought or salinity in advance, it can ensure that the sugarcane industry can maintain productivity and stability even under the influence of climate change. Genomic selection not only brings opportunities to improve efficiency and precision in sugarcane breeding, but also provides strong scientific and technological support for coping with various challenges facing agriculture in the future. With the further development and application of technology, it is expected to play an increasingly important role in sustainable agriculture and food security (Meena et al., 2020). 6 Evaluation and Outlook 6.1 Comprehensive evaluation The application of genomic selection in sugarcane breeding has shown significant potential and some challenges that cannot be ignored. From a profit perspective, this approach greatly improves the efficiency and precision of breeding. By leveraging genome-wide information, breeders can predict the genetic potential of sugarcane at an early stage, reducing the need for site resources and shortening variety development time. In addition, genomic selection helps to precisely improve the agronomic traits of sugarcane, such as increasing sugar content, disease resistance, and environmental adaptability, which directly enhances the market competitiveness and agricultural sustainability of sugarcane (Hayes et al., 2021).
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