Sugarcane Breeding Institute is one of the two World repositories (the other being at Miami, Florida, USA) of sugarcane germplasm. The institute is maintaining world’s largest in situ germplasm collection. Besides this independent and joint expeditions in collaboration with other national agencies for the collection of different species of Saccharum and related genera constitute is an ongoing activity of the Institute.

Field gene bank- Major part of the sugarcane germplasm (Saccharum officinarum, S.barberi, S.sinense, S.robustum S. edule)is being maintained at SBI Research Centre, Kannur (Kerala state) while the wild species such as S.spontaneum, Erianthus spp., and the related genera are maintained at Coimbatore. Some of the clones collected from high altitude viz., Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalya could not establish and flowered at Coimbatore, so S.spontaneum clones from Arunachal Pradesh, E. fulvus and Miscanthus nepalensis collected from Meghalya are maintained at IARI Regional Station, Wellington.

Seed Bank- Poly cross true seeds of S. spontaneum and National Active Germplasm (NAG) varieties are collected each year, tested for germination and viable seeds are sent for long term storage in National Gene Bank at NBPGR, New Delhi along with passport information.

in vitro conservation- In vitro culture facility has been initiated at Kannur Research Centre for conserving the germplasm in phases

Exploration of germplasm is one of the priority areas of activities was started by the institute as early in 1912. Since then several explorations conducted by the Institute for the collection of Saccharum germplasm from different geographical and climatic regimes of the country. In the recent past explorations were conducted in Gujarat (Sep 2007) Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand (Aug-Sept 2009). Gujarat had not been explored previously for wild sugarcane germplasm and no accessions from there existed in the germplasm collection.The distribution of S. spontaneum in Gujarat was occasional and mostly found on river banks, dry river beds and field bunds. But it was commonly seen in Kutch district in western Gujarat and in isolated areas in north Gujarat. They were dwarf or medium tall types. A total of 32 accessions of S. spontaneum were collected from different districts in Gujarat. 28 clones of S. spontaneum, Erianthus fulvus and Miscanthus were collected from 9 districts of Himachal Pradesh and 25 clones (S. spontaneum and Miscanthus ) were collected from 10 districts of Uttarakhand.

The major part of the species-germplasm available at present had been evaluated for agro-morphological attributes and flowering and the information had been documented in the germplasm catalogues published from the Institute. The germplasm had also been evaluated for specific attributes like earliness based on sucrose content and purity at 7th month and waterlogging resistance at Kannur. The germplasm Catalogues and databases published from the Institute are listed in this table.

Improvement of species-germplasm is being carried out through intra-specific hybridization and selection within the Saccharum species. The improved species-hybrids are being used in the interspecific hybridization. Attempts are also under way to broaden the cytoplasmic base of the hybrids using Saccharum barberi, S. sinense, S. spontaneum and Erianthus arundinaceus as female parents in hybridization.

Interspecific and intergeneric hybrids are continuously developed and evaluated and superior hybrids are inducted into the breeding pools periodically. Nearly 300 such hybrids have been evaluated under sub-tropical conditions at Karnal (Haryana State) also, and some of the superior hybrids have been inducted in the breeding programmes.

Improved genetic stocks maintained at Sugarcane Breeding Institute

The Germplasm Registration Committee of Indian Council of Agricultural Research had approved 22 sugarcane hybrids developed at the Institute for registration as germplasm. They are:

Sugarcane Breeding Institute is a designated centre for National Active Germplasm Site (NAGS) for sugarcane under National Plant Biodiversity Conservation Network of NBPGR. Registered genetic stocks and released / notified commercial varieties are conserved as active collections for reference and distribution to bonafide researchers.As on April 2016, 226 registered germplasm and notified varieties are being maintained in the field.