Innovation Methods in Molecular Breeding of Sugar Beet (Beta vulgaris L.)

Abstract

Molecular-genetic selection of parental lines of sugar beet has been carried out for further hybridization. Initial lines, including male sterile lines and multigerm pollinators, have been evaluated using 12 microsatellite markers. As a result, two primer pairs have been selected to be the most informative in relation to the heterogeneity of breeding material and the most efficient for a heterosis prediction. A PCR analysis of 12 initial lines of sugar beet has determined specific DNA profiles for breeding material. The performed cluster analysis has allowed us to reveal genetic distances and to divide the studied varieties into clusters depending on their genetic relationship as well as to recommend parental forms for highly productive hybrids. A crossing of genetically distant lines plays an important role in the heterosis manifestation in hybrids. Due to low productivity, combinations of lines whose genetic distance does not exceed 1.41 should be excluded from further analysis. The results of this study are important for the production of heterosis hybrids in the practical breeding of sugar beet.