Uncovering the mechanism of female restitution in sugarcane hybrids

TL;DR - Haplotype-resolved F1 genomes show that female restitution in interspecific sugarcane hybrids results from second-division restitution during meiosis. Clarifying this mechanism could guide breeding strategies for faster crop improvement.

• Maternal chromatids were duplicated and partially recombined.
• Distinctive recombination signatures identified the meiotic mechanism.
• The study examines hybrids of Saccharum officinarum and Saccharum spontaneum.
• The findings provide a genomic basis for exploiting female restitution in sugarcane breeding.