Shokofa, Sugar Beet Monogerm Variety Resistant to Rhizomania and Cyst Nematode

Over 50% of the sugar beet fields in Iran are infested by rhizomania and beet cyst nematode diseases. Using resistant varieties is a simple and efficient method of managing these diseases. In 2015, Shokofa was released as the second domestic monogerm variety, resistant to both rhizomania and beet cyst nematode. White sugar yield of this variety under infested field condition was 7.44 tha-1 which was in the same group as foreign control Ludwina (8.28 tha-1) and domestic control Tous (7.32 tha-1). In an experiment conducted in greenhouse, the resistance of Shokofa variety to cyst nematode was evaluated and results showed that the average number of cyst on Shokofa root was 30, while two foreign controls including Pauletta and Sanetta infested with 23 and 26 cysts respectively, and the susceptible control Jolge was infested with 114 cysts. Based on two on-farm experiments conducted in Khoy and Fariman Sugar Factories in 2014, the sugar yield of Shokofa was 9.23 tha-1 that was almost equal to sugar yield of Toukan cultivar (9.47 tha-1), a foreign sugar beet control. However, under rhizomania infected fields in Neishabor and Qazvin Sugar Factories, the sugar yield of Shokofa was 7.17 tha-1 which was higher than all domestic and foreign controls.