Ramón Enrique, Florencia Budeguer, Atilio Castagnaro, Santiago Ostengo and Aldo Noguera
Instituto de Tecnología Agroindustrial del Noroeste Argentino (ITANOA)- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas (CONICET) and Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres (EEAOC), Tucumán, Argentina; renrique@eeaoc.org.ar; ramon.enrique.ar@gmail.com
Climate change is impacting crop production worldwide, causing significant yield losses. Genetic transformation represents an essential biotechnological tool for mitigating abiotic stress in crops. In this study, we introduced the sunflower transcription factor Hahb11 gene into the elite sugarcane variety TUC 03-12 by the biolistic transformation method. Previous studies have demonstrated that Hahb11 overexpression in maize and alfalfa enhances biomass production and tolerance to water stress. Transgenic sugarcane lines exhibited higher germination rates and increased biomass at both root and shoot levels under normal conditions. Furthermore, some lines displayed tolerance to water deficit and high salinity. Histological studies indicated enhanced vascular structures in roots from transgenic lines compared to non-transformed plants. Our findings suggest that Hahb11 overexpression in sugarcane could be a promising strategy for enhancing productivity and abiotic stress resilience.