ABSTRACT
To optimise sugarcane improvement, it is necessary to know the impact a selected trait will have on the general physiology of the plant. However, this is not yet possible as there are too many gaps in our knowledge of the unique development and physiology of sugarcane. Such gaps impair our ability to enhance desired agronomical traits. For example, selection of sugarcane varieties with increased photosynthetic capacity may be useless if sugar accumulation is constrained by temperature, water decit or nutrient availability (Inman-Bamber et al. 2002). It may prove difcult to consistently increase sucrose levels in the culm without rst knowing the factors that affect sugarcane yield and carbon partitioning.
