Adaptation of the sugar beet to meet the needs of the industry in America

I f PT TIO OF IIB ~JUO: R B • ',T TO TH y N S OF THE .., AR INDUS't' Y IN AH UC

H ••• Brewbakerl

The be•

t

sugar induatry in erica wao entirely dependent on

:rur-ope n oources

ot

seed for its earl1 development. The varieties then aveilable were developed largely by oomm.erciel concerns;

and

while they

ere tt,e raault of intensive breedin ork in product yield, int

o

r-,/

med1,jt and sugnr types, the selection work was done in Europe. It is not surprising, theretore, that these types, or c0t11~erciol br~nda,

r

1led to meet the c1tic needs ot the . rican gr er and sugar industry.

It mi jlt be pertinent to record that

1 except for limited cooperative breeding strain te to in this country es early as 19,36, the only serious

tte.mpt by any Juro an seed producer to et the speoitic varietal pro bl s of the rican industry was initiated

t

Brush, Colo, in 1934 by the National ,eed Co., a subsidiary or the tinn

ot

R bbethge and OiesecKe, Kl.einwanzleben, Garmmy. lhile thie appeared to be a well orgenized tteni

t

to provide adapted and diseese resistant varieties to the American gr~erJit oeme ebout after breeding work 1n the United States h d becane quite extensive end contidence had been estab)ished in the ebillty

or

research en in this country to eet tho needa of the industry tor better T rietian. Thi project wa terminated in 1938 at a time

)

when etreined intornotional re 1 tion hips were pointing towerds World ar No. 2.

During tho first orld · ar the eri csn beet 1nduotry was

t

oed with the heavy burden or providing eod for a uickly expended ecroage. Costly

1ttempts ere made

to

deTelop e dcmeatic seed industry by tho steckling or '(I

trenspleting ethod. ~eed wee purchased trOi'.ll every veilable source end

•

many fields

ot

cltock beets were un ittingly planted

ror

sugar production, only 1 tar to be purchased by the processing comp ny end turned bee to lAgronomist and Plant Breeder, Great eetern Quger Co.

p. 2 the grower

ror

11 vestock

reed.

;i.his •ar-t ime seed em.erg ncy, coupled with the fact that tho eugar b-eet growers in America hod been faced for years with two ma·jor cU.seeaes" namely, curly top

tor

the areas pri11oipolly 1Hist

of the Oont1nentol Divide, and

leat

spot ( ~ east

ot

the

Continental Divide, fo~used attention on breeding for varietal improv~ent and commercial seed production. The development of a celr-sutriciant do-mestic aeed industry, largely by the overwinterin~ method. as reviewed

by o. H. Coons (4)2, provided the tin!U control needed tE> induce extensive

va:rietel improvement

work

in

the

tJ ..

s.

b7

.Federal.

State,

end

S

ugar

Com-pany :research agencies. Some

or

the result& of th.io improve:.nant work '!Vill be briefly ravie red before passing oo to a disoussion of the opportunities and probla!l1S whiC:Jh the l)lant breeders are !acing, particularly in connec-tion with the m.eohanization or the

sugar

beet

erop.

lt aee1!1s doubttul

it

the histor1 ot plant breeding hss on. reoord eny contl"ibut1on to H siagl.e crop which will exceed that made as a result of the development of varieties resistant to thit curly-top di •ease

or

sugar beats. Thia disease, which is caused by a vil'U!I carried by the beet leaf

hopper

lilutettix

tenellua,

was

the principal cause

of

average

yields(~)

I

ea low as 1.0 and J .4 tons, respectively .• for the :i,e"'rs 1914 and 1919 in the Oalitornia D1etriot, a.nd. tl.6 and 6.0 tons, respectively, for the yeara 1924 and 1926 in ~i'.outhern Idaho. Buch lo;v yield a, w-hiob repreaont loHea or t"rom 50

to

90 per cent -ould eventually, no doub\ have pro..,ad ratol to the industry in those areas subject to frequent epidemic of this dise se. The moderately reds tent V3r1ety, tl. s. No. 1. relea,,ad to growers in 1934, provided tho :f'i.:rnt poai ti ve relief' against thta disease, seed being avail-able th~t year tor bout 55,000 acres of

commercial

beets. Since that time, continued imp:rov&:nent haa been made with the further releanes of tJ.ti,.D.A. No'a 33, M, l<.!, 15, 2-, 23, and lO, aLo AI.:i.algamated Sugar Co. No. 600. S0J.11e of the reooi~nized def'acta in

u. s.

No. l, inoJ uding a strong bolting tendency, ware el1m.1n'1te4, Vihile resistance to curly top and eb111ty to pro• 2Figure£1 in pa:renthi,sie refer to "Lit rat e Cited11

P• 3

duce were improved 1u

,

tho later releases.

Mass selection

methods

have

b~en

used extens11'ely in rnaking these atrtking improve"nents. 'lfuile re l immunity to this disease uppeere doubtful, a high degree

ot

r8sistance hos been ob-tained, end the:re ilJ every reason to believe tb!<lt still better curly-top

resistant varieties are in

th)

making.

The

lest-spot disease is leas ravaging in its

attacks

then is curly

top;

and for

this reason,

parhups, the demand

ror

leet-apot resistant 'Vart etiea oa laao urgent. This dieease, cauaed by Ceroospora betieola,

may under favorable conditions reau1t in

a

loss

or

from

25

to

40 p~r

cent

in total 1.n1gar production. Heritable resistance to leaf' spot was found to exist in eonrneroial Europoen brands, and in Beta maritime, a elosoly re-lated wild type which hybridizes reac11ly with the ootnm:erciel type, Beta Vule;oria; and much progress baa already been made in developing commerc1 ally

aceeptable varioties wllich sre highly resistant. 'l'wo varieties (6, 7} have ah-eady been released by tha t1, ,;,. D. ·~. to meet this problem, nemely,

u.

ti. 200 x 215. and U. ,J. 215

~

216, both

ot

which rapraa nt

open-pollinated hybrids or two inb?'ed strains. In o

recent

release.

Oaakill ( 9)

reported that U.

s

.

200 x 215 was comparod ·d th •synthetic check", which is a r1:rat gener~uon increase of mixture of 9 b!u.ropoan brande • in a total

ot

83 repliouted triuln from 19:::8 to 10, 2 in m::m:r sug,ir-beet districts eaat

or the

Rocky UountaiM,

and th~t

it

exceeded the

synthetio

cback

by

4

.7

~

in total augtir production as en average of all

ti,ats.

Included in tbesa test were some where leaf spot •as a limi tin. factor ond in such cat-ies the di rrerence was greater in favor of U.

s

.

200 x: 215. Over th.is saine

general

urea tho

more ros1stant

hybrid.

U.

s. 215

x

216.

produced 5.2% more

sugar per ee:re thAn U. B. 200 x 215 in 26 replicated trials in 1941 and

4.5% more in 21 similar trials in 1942. In 40 similar tests for the same

two years

u

.

a.

215 :it 216 showed an increase

or

8.4% in s~ar per acre over synthetic oheok.

I I

P• 5

ohte1. ~,yied

p~obable,

ho

ever,

ae el,eex~ed

in

segr

e

gating

aeneratio.ne of crosses

be~ween

danestic

numbers

end

oerta1n Italian productions, nd

soma

i"'J

fll'!llllies h

ve

been observed

which

show uniformity

tor this obflraoter.

Breeding work by tbe Uolly Sugar Corpor tion ban

been centered largely

on agronomic 1 prove:nent. They re_port "considerable 1mprov8nent'' in their

varieties over

the

opoen

ch ct.JS tested.

These

xemples heve been oho en to rapreoent somo

of

the

more outst

nd-ing

m

rioan cantrib

tion3

di~~cted tow rd ~lirninatton

o

certain hazards

in gr tn sug r beets n'nd genereJ i prov · nt in the co:n:naroial verieties

avn1lable to the

M1erican

gro r.

her

are

others

which m.1ght

well

be men•

tioned auch aa the development

ot

u.

s

.

15, which is characterized

by

a

de-sirable slow boltin tendency and ia rnoi st 1t to both downy mildow

am

curly top. I

rovement in

gron

1o ch rscters,

particul

rly 1n hape

ot

root and size of

orown.

oen be

olstmed

tor

many or the

recent

developments.

,h

1le

uoh

prouess

has been re lized in breeding the

su_

r boet to

eet speoifio

Al:lar1cen

nee

s,

the job 1a tar trom finished. It the hopes

end

b1t1ons

or

thoae who e

contributing

to

the Job

are

justified

much

i np:rovc ent lies

ead in the fields

ot

breeding for

resist

nee

to the two

principal dioeanoa,

curly

top

end lest

soot.

and

in combining resietonoe to

theae two disaeoes tnto one variety, also 1n br od1 g tor roeis snce to

other dioeaoeo, pertloularly Fuaar1.um yellows (2). 'l1.here 1s somo evidence which

indicates

1 proYe

nt

mq

be

made

by

bre din

for r

slatan.ee

to

~h1zocton1e

and dsmptns-ot.t in

oe,dl1ngs. wh1lo

1 un1ty

to

ru

t1

Urornrcee

Betae,

1s

cle

ar

cut in

~ecregating

generation.a and

oresUJ11ably

could

he

incorporated into

ho"'.11.ozygous iC'ffluno st.reins.

Rea1stance

to cold h

s

been shown

by

tests in Northern Colorado to be

a herlteble ch

ructer,

oubjeot to improv ment through selection. Pl1!1nt1ngs

do

in

u&iat

:f."or a ed

:produ

ct

ion

the

tollow1ng

-year

oooasionelly

auf'f'er

severe

wintor

injury. One

or

two mass

sele

ctions

tor cold tolerance

under

P• 7

3llG olly hat rogonous ixt e of types htch oh r•ete •izes nea ly all of

~ co:.woorci varieties b~ing g:ror.n exter:i: ively at tha preeent ti e. ~

atfecting root

type

will be d1sc1ssed

by

Dr. O\lfen.

It

may

a prop

to

ob-eorve here, howovar, th

t

such

oher ct

ra

oa shepe of root end tbe

develop-nt. r undosircbly heav1 second ry r ot:i, including 1t

,:>robnbly c ntinuo to v ry consider bl., i YIIU'Yi soil conditions

re-ardl0ns of tho extent of an\ici otad genetic

i

prove, nt for theue ch r-actors.

'l'he ougar be

t

1nduatry ia in a po!lition

or

ut111zin ony inproved

v rietio 1! di tely a ince the processor prov idea all eee to th sugar

boot rower. There haa lwayo b en, thorofol."e,

ur

upon

re e

roh to

provide -tho i

provementa

h1ch could be

.uiclcly

utilized.

uch has been oco plish d alr dy in otudy of fund ont l pri

-ciples :.iarticularly in alttlon to cu i7 top doth r d1n-aseo, nd th

1ru1ari t· nee

ot

r o1s .. anae to curly top end O.l other chor ct r • Various

br-eeding thoda a.re ,)loyed by ditt rent breeders, 1nbraocUn" being

de-pon~e upon by sor1e hil broader : ily end group to ss saleotion

othodo hav be u employ d very uccessf'u;.ly by others. Breeclin wark

has be n tly a-ti ulatad am rend red incra ai ly productive oo a

result of auoh inprov nts as over inter d seed . roductio , boto-thermal in uc ion

ot

oead stalk produotton in the greenhouoe nd plan.ti

}

of seed in tho S()uthwe t with 1 tor ahi .nt

or

the steeklt e to the

north for aead

production,

all

or

which operate to reduce a noraial

~-or oaed pro uc ti on do n to one a y

er

.

'l'heee

fund

~ant

principle and breeding ro0 thods are or'#in tools tor the pl t

b · der.. ~i ni.1cant pro ess in v r'etal improve nt has re dy b en

toolnt but f

t

1_{1er intcmni ve cyto c otic end rnd}

P• 8

t l uhysiologic

in-!

v "'tlg tio, ::ir8 noedod to )rov1de c rt.in pr1ncipl s b n1c to tho ro

r

;xoe

t

tor thoso ehtu• .. ctar:'J rur,endy nv,Httionad, 'trtt culnrly

uni-to 1 ty of sronomi o typo or root incl u.cU n 'pec1Al m. h.e ta on ell

c o n~. it saerna doub tul. if the r a nt or o;;t- r needs will d and

uch cb n ·o

,,t

omphMi' o the ty e or ot hich pl .nt breeders are

tor to

ny. ,e A seed will be ost dooir!3blo

it

thi., cha

-aoter can bo aeo·U"ed nd

tnoorpor

ted into th or o~t co reial v

r-~

ietie,

J

the possibili tion or hich ill b" ~ferred to by Dr. O en.

Br din eth ology will prob bly cv to s d:-. ore 'in in~ os ecielly it

reato~ unifo ity

or

typ become an os entiel. lt-pollin tlon thoda re 11loP. ond subject :t tho o vlo 1s dlrfi ul.tho e oci t with a hieh d (tr e

ot

self-st r111 ty, even undo- tho mo t r vora le cord it1on.l'J, lo n

or pr('.)(1uot1on for o t inbr ds, and lack or pollen control in making

sub-s& uant hybrids ot. lnbrnd lin~s, but thf'I, e d1ttJcult1oe o:re n't insu ount•

eble c.nd only an gre tor effort to r:eo lish tho do 1.red ro roa •

ul ti ple-cr a anr buokcroea techniques o.,.ter pm, 1b11itiec for use of inbr ds. lt h bean found tru tor corn in >rk by Je kin (10) th t 1.nbrod linen wi h the hi ji .

t

y elr r;;enot11>

founrt etton pl tn or oom. ,1~r bly hi 7ielrl

the e3o mento of

notype.

Baa do

tbio

prin-cipla, a tbod hereby onon-pollin t~d si:,od 1ar'fet1t d

rran

hi . ly alectod 1nd1vt u.als wbichwero gro.n togethor in i,oloted roup is used to

t

st the :f'und mont l tic cap

cny or

the i ividu l other to or-oduos, .tollowin hie h nel -pollin tad s ed !'rom the bast-pr d core wo 1ld be

binod 1 di ,t•ly, otters so e opportunity or br

rs to

ke

~o reo& tor oovorol cha

nd t tha tie t hold or incr a o

y elding bility and to induce rester unifo 1ty thtrn oul.d be )Oaalble

by th h oooer fur. ily or' a Ht aoleetion tho a.

It see s p,..ob~ ble th

t

the deve) opment o"' vorieti.ee which ro otre

p.

9

1

1. Brewbaker. H. 1

~. , and McGreevy, .)3;; i·. ,. erltic&l study ot family

and group breeding mothod1., for- sug&r beste. .PI'oc.

t.me.r.

;,oe. , .. ,:u.g&t'

;;eat 'l'ech. pp. 42-bO.

l~:.:.a.

2. Bookstahler.

n.

'II. uea.1stai1ee to Fu:ear1um yello1,s in sugar beets. aoc. er. ~,oc • ..,u, ur lleot · eoh. pp. l9l-l98. 19'10.

3. Ce:r$ner, 7ilub11rd,a. tmd othcH.-a. Cur ly-t()p resistance in sugor beats ,m<l teats

or

tho resiut.1.mt varioty

u

.

[:

.

No. l . iJ,S,DA Teoh. l3ul. 360. 1933. 4.. Coons• (l. lI.

o.

s.

imgur 'beet m.eeto wsr 01•1s1Eh CUgliI'

~m:

(no,.

l)

1a-~, (No. 2}

22-~e.

l'94Z.

5. Coons, G. H. ltaprovqnent of ·tho s'Ug r btJet. USDA Ye11~book, pp. 825•6n7. 1939.

·G• .;;oona, G. B., and d"te~art, l:ie\tey.

u.

s. ai-JO x 215, a ne ougsr bee·t variety >.~es1atant to leaf apot. Th8 ~ugar J'ournal 3: 7-8. 1940.

'1. Coons, G. H., St.ewn:i;-t,

.ilewt,y.

and aas~1ll, John • •• new leaf-~pot 1'8Sistant

beat

variety. Jugar

3G,

4

VP•

July,

l

G4

l.

e.

Da_hlberg, H.

w

.

1 ttaxaon, .. ~. C .. , an.1 Brewbaker,- H. E. Breeding tor

re-si.sta.ooe to leaf spot end ot.ha:t~

chi:n:•

,,,

ote1"~.

Proo. n!fJEl:C. ~)oe. Cuga::r

Daet Teoh. PP• .169-180. 19-~0.

9. Gaskill. Joh.

o.

Dugar-beet la.at' sg0t h 'being oon'vl'Olled tnrough breeding oi rEts1stant variutie::i. Colo. Fam ilul. lfov.-Dec • 194-~. 10. J'enkins, i.lerle '.i.'.

lows State Coll$ga J'om:. Boi. 9;-.'..29-4.50. 19;;,5.

11. Owen, i'. V., tsn.d othe1•1i. Ourly-top-rttuiutunt sugiu.•-beat VtU"iet.ies in

l93Se USDA Cir.

515.

1959.

12. Sk.1ld8rna • .a. 'II,, and othtrrs. 'val.uatiou or ttugai- beet types in cet'tain.