Breeding of highly productive sugar beet hybrids with improved beet root shape

Purpose. Isolation of donors of valuable breeding and genetic traits and the creation of a new source material for the selection of parental components of sugar beet hybrids according to the shape of the root. Evaluation of the productive potential of experimental sugar beet hybrids with improved root shape parameters. Methods. Field (experiments, phenological observations), laboratory (determination of sugar content), measuring and weighing (determination of crop structure), statistical (mathematical processing of research results). Results. The results of the evaluation of the basic productivity of parental components of different genetic structure and productivity of experimental sugar beet hybrids with improved root shape are presented. An increase in the yield of root crops, sugar yield and sugar output per unit area in sugar beet hybrids on a cytoplasmic male-sterile (CMS) basis, created using multigerm pollinators with an improved root crop shape (oval-conical), has been established.  Experimental hybrids formed on the basis of first generation of multigerm pollinators of backcross (BC1) prevailed the group standard in root crop yield by 15.2–22.8%, sugar yield and sugar output by 14.4–19.4% and 11.5–17.5%, respectively. The sugar content was below or at the level of the group standard. Similar indicators of hybrids formed on the basis of pollinators of the second generation of backcross (BC2) were 14.0–21.2%, 17.0–23.2% and 17.6–23.9%, respectively. The sugar content was at the level of the group standard. Root shape index indicators were 1.32 and 1.28, respectively. The hybrids formed using the initial multigerm pollinators were characterized by a conical root shape (shape index – 0.61). According to indicators of yield, sugar yield and sugar output per unit area, they were at the level of the group standard. Conclusions. It was established that the shape of the root crop is an important factor in improving the productive potential of sugar beets in selection for heterosis. The change in the shape of the root crop from conical to oval-conical leads to an increase in the productivity of multigerm pollinators of sugar beets by 8–19% and hybrids created with their participation by 17–23%.