Transcriptional Response of Russian Sugar Beet Breeding: from Genetic Resources to Innovative Hybrids

Abstract

Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is the only industrial crop cultivated in Russia’s temperate climate zone that supports domestic sugar production. For the past thirty years, the industry has been critically dependent on imported seed, making the development of competitive domestic sugar beet hybrids a matter of national food security. This article reviews the current achievements of Russian sugar beet breeding. It examines progress in conventional and marker-assisted breeding, including the management of the cytoplasmic male sterility trait, the development of O-type male-sterility maintainer lines, and the production of heterotic hybrids. The article also analyzes the implementation of biotechnological methods, including in vitro tissue culture, haploid technology, and marker-assisted selection, as well as the use of bioinformatics and genomic approaches to accelerate the breeding process. Prospective areas for the further development of the industry are identified.