Seed Production and Processing

Abstract

Sugar beet cultivation is highly dependent on the supply of high quality seed as carriers of specific and requested varietal characteristics. Seed production of the biennial sugar beet is conducted in two main phases: the production of small beet plants (stecklings) in the first year of vegetative growth and seed production in the second year after the bolting and flowering of vernalized plants. Optimal conditions for sugar beet seed production are mainly found in regions with a Mediterranean climate. Parental lines in hybrid seed production are specifically handled to ensure a high level of varietal purity and seed quality. Particular post-harvest processing steps and techniques are well integrated to select seed lot fractions with the best quality and the highest field emergence potential. Additionally, seeds are covered by specifically developed pellets to support their placement in sugar beet fields and to act as carriers for plant protection agents. During the last few years an increasing amount of seeds were also subjected to pre-treatments in order to further improve seed quality characteristics for optimal plant establishment in sugar beet production fields.