Saccharum × Miscanthus intergeneric hybrids (miscanes) exhibit greater chilling tolerance of C₄ photosynthesis and postchilling recovery than sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids)

Although commercial sugarcane ( Saccharum spp. hybrid) produces large biomass yields, its lack of cold tolerance limits its cultivation to the tropics and subtropics. In contrast, sugarcane's close relative, Miscanthus , tolerates low temperatures. We studied 18 miscane genotypes, derived from hybridizations between two genotypes of sugarcane and two genotypes of Miscanthus (one each of M. sinensis and M. sacchariflorus ). In an initial...