ABSTRACT
The impressive knowledge acquired in the area of plant molecular biology and the exciting developments in its practical applications have revolutionized the manner in which plant breeding programs are designed and conducted. As in other crops, the sugar beet breeder has begun to better comprehend the genetic mechanisms underlying the traits to be improved, given provision with appropriate biotechnological tools for a considerably more efficient manipulation of genetic material. It is expected that a rational employment of all related novel techniques will increasingly play an important role throughout the mainstream breeding operations and thereby most significantly enhance their productiveness. This chapter outlines the scientific information available and describes basic current and possible applications in the genetic improvement of sugar beet. Topics include progress in genomic research and its perspectives, various molecular marker-based methodological approaches as well as biotechnological applications of in vitro culture and genetic engineering.
