Efficient Sugarcane Transformation via <Emphasis Type="Italic">bar</Emphasis> Gene Selection

Genetic engineering provides new opportunities for improving economically important traits in sugarcane cultivars. In this study, an efficient Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system that uses the bar gene (a herbicide resistance gene that is used in conjunction with the herbicide Basta) as a selection marker was developed. Using this transformation selection system, all of the resistant plants after selection were nearly 100% polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection positive and showed herbicide resistance. Each gram of sugarcane calli used for transformation produced approximately 12 transgenic lines. It took approximately 4 months to generate transgenic plants that measured 10 cm in height for greenhouse transplantation.