Progress in sugar beet quality by breeding
2001
Jansen, R. | Burba, M. (Kleinwanzlebener Saatzucht (KWS SAAT), Einbeck (Germany). Inst. fuer Pflnzenzuechtung)
The beginning of systematic sugar beet breeding dates back to the middle of the 19th century. For a long time, the development of sugar content was the main breeding goal. Intensive breeding efforts allowed to double the sugar content. Around 1900 the sugar content already reached about 16 /. After World War II, sugar yield became the main goal of breeding efforts. Up to now, monogerm high-yielding hybrid varieties are the main object of demand. Despite the genetically fixed, negative correlation between yield and sugar content, the latter once again increased by around 5 relative points during the past 30 years, taking the average of the German national list tests. Progress in breeding became even more evident (with around 35 relative points) looking at the alkali content (K+Na). In the same time, alpha-amino-N went down to 50/ of the original rate. Around 20 / of the resulting decline in thick juice nonsugars are due to less nitrogen fertilisation, while around 80 / can be attributed to progress by breeding. These effects are adding up to the fact that nowadays more and more cultivation situations see former alkalinity reserves exhausted. Therefore quality breeding has to face a new challenge: The ionic balance has to be taken into account as a criterion for alkalinity reserves, and alpha-amino-N has to be reduced superproportionally in comparison to the alkali content.
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