ABSTRACT
ACHARD, F. C. (1753-1821): German scientist and chemist; the first person who selected beet plants successfully for sugar production; he is considered to be the founder of the sugar beet industry; by crossing the “Weisse Mangoldrübe” (Zuckerwurzel = sugar root) and the “Roter Mangold” (Rübenmangold or Futterrübe = fodder beet), he was able to select genotypes showing high sugar content, marking the birth of a new crop plant, the sugar beet; the first name for the sugar beet was “Schlesische Rübe”; first production of sugar beets started in Central Germany around the Magdeburg-HalberstadtKleinwanzleben region, where heavy, very fertile loess soil was available (it is still the center of sugar beet production of Germany);
later he founded the first sugar beet factory of the world at Cunnern (Silesian, Germany/ Poland).
