03. Breeding
Research begins by implementing the right traits. Growers' needs, as well as the requirements of the sugar industry, must be bred into future genetics. All traits e.g. nematode tolerance, high sugar content, ... which can benefit sugar yield should be present in our father and mother lines, the so-called "inbred lines".
A sugar beet plant benefits from a hybrid breeding system where it combines the best traits from both its parental inbred lines. Thanks to scientific research into breeding and its years of experience, SESVanderHave can ensure that the necessary traits are inbred.
Where do we breed new sugar beet varieties?
This process starts at our state-of-the-art Innovation Centre in Tienen, Belgium, a world-class example of high-tech research under glass. The full spectrum of outdoor conditions can be reproduced at the Innovation Centre, ensuring that the research benefits from the perfect parameters for simulating the correct results.
For example, we can expose sugar beets to temperatures up to 40°C, as well as simulating a cold night. We can also make it night-time during the day.
Thanks to these innovative techniques, we can increase our research capacity and shorten the variety development process.
Click here to learn more about the Innovation Centre.
How do we breed new sugar beet varieties?
Fertilisation
Inbreeding starts with two fertile plants, i.e. two plants with a pistil and stamens. These plants are specifically chosen because they have already demonstrated their value in the past. These inbreds are carefully selected from SESVanderHave's extensive germplasm database.
For one of the two plants, the stamens are manually removed and that plant then becomes the “mother” inbred. In a pollen-tight bag, a male branch fertilises this plant, and this fertilisation results in targeted new combinations of traits.
Genetic passport
After the fertilisation, we immediately check whether these seeds contain the desired traits of interest. For this, we use leaf samples from the ‘offspring’ of the inbreds. This check is done in the molecular marker laboratory, where we verify the genetic makeup or DNA of the leaf samples. All plants used for seed production are screened, enabling us to create a "genetic passport" for each seed and each plant. Thanks to this passport, we know from the start of our research process which seed will be used in the variety development process.
Biotic Stress Management Laboratory
When we notice that a particular "mother" or "father" line is sensitive to a particular disease, we research these factors in the Innovation Centre’s Biotic Stress Management Laboratory. In this lab, the various sugar beet diseases are mapped out and tested on the new sugar beet varieties. Plants that pass these various disease tests move on to the next stage while the sensitive plants are excluded.
The special Abiotic Stress growth chambers in the Innovation Centre enable us to carry out thorough tests by adapting the different "abiotic stress factors" such as heat, drought, light intensity, air humidity, and soil fertility.
With all the information collected, a detailed description of each sugar beet plant is prepared, such as tolerance to biotic and abiotic factors, history of father and mother lines, and performance of different traits. The key genes can then be mapped along the sugar beet genome. This is precision work and requires a large quantity of computer data and expertise. Thanks to this gene map, molecular markers can be developed for the key traits, allowing breeders to speed up breeding cycles.