Breeding for a brave, new world - the opportunities for a sugar beet breeder

While yields of many arable crops have plateaued, Sugar Beet continues to deliver significant yield increases annually. Innovative plant breeding, assisted by technology, has played a leading part. However, looking ahead Sugar Beet breeders must predict changes in climate as well as changing patterns of pest, weed and disease threat together with advances in crop management. Increasing restrictions on the use of plant protection products will put more emphasis on the role of genetics to control pests and diseases. SESVANDERHAVE is a business dedicated to the Sugar Beet crop, supplying seed to some 52 countries. This focus drives continual innovation, global monitoring helps revise breeding goals and identifies issues such as developing resistances and emerging weed, pest and disease threats. However, trialling at national level remains critical to ensure new varieties are suited to the local environment and management practices in each country. Strategically, continued progress in breeding will need collaborative effort between academia and commerce in the pre-commercial stage. Once varieties are brought to market seed suppliers, growers and processors will need to work together to optimise the crop's genetic potential and economic returns as well as ensuring sustainability.