Russian breeders have created 13 new sugar beet hybrids. They do not rot, unlike foreign root crops, and are also resistant to disease and drought. By 2025, the number of new hybrids with such characteristics is planned to be increased to 40.
The work is underway within the framework of the Federal Scientific and Technical Program (FNTP). The company “SoyuzSemSvekla” participates in it, bringing together specialists from Shchelkovo Agrokhim and RusAgro, as well as scientific institutions of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia.
“At the moment, 13 hybrids have been created, already registered in the state register. By the end of 2021, another 18-20 will be submitted for registration, they are now undergoing a series of tests. All of them are created according to the principle of low sensitivity to root rot, drought and the most common sugar beet disease – cercosporosis, ”said General Director of Shchelkovo Agrokhim, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Salis Karakotov.
Also, the harvest of new hybrids of Russian sugar beet will yield fruits that are more uniform in size, making them easier to harvest.
For the last 20 years, the cultivation of sugar beets in Russia has been entirely based on foreign seeds. However, already next year, domestic hybrids are ready to occupy 10% of the Russian market. Their seeds have already arrived at the Schelkovo Agrokhim dragee plant and are ready to go into the hands of buyers. The seed acquisition season will begin in November and end in April.
Details are in the exclusive material of Izvestia:
What kind of tops: Russian breeders brought out rotting beets