Ecological variety testing of sugar beet hybrids under the conditions of Pavlodar Region

Abstract

Background and Aim. Sugar beet is one of the strategically important industrial crops that provides the raw material base for the sugar industry and ensures the food security of Kazakhstan. In recent years, improving the efficiency of sugar beet production has become particularly relevant due to the need to increase the volume of domestic sugar production and reduce dependence on imported raw materials. In this regard, the importance of ecological variety testing is growing, which allows an objective assessment of the adaptive potential of modern hybrids and the identification of the most stable and productive forms for specific climatic conditions. The aim of the study was to conduct an ecological assessment of sugar beet hybrids and identify the most promising for cultivation in Pavlodar Region.
Materials and Methods. Field studies were conducted in 2024–2025 at the experimental field of ‘‘Pavlodar Agricultural Experimental Station’’ LLP under drip irrigation conditions. The objects of research were 10 sugar beet hybrids of domestic and foreign breeding. Records and observations were carried out in accordance with the generally accepted methodology of competitive variety testing and the methodology of research on sugar beet of the All-Russian Research Institute of Sugar Beet (VNIS).
Results. On the basis of the obtained data, promising hybrids of domestic and foreign breeding were identified by a set of economically valuable traits. In 2024, the highest yields were characterized by hybrids Burya – 512.0 c/ha (51.2 t/ha), Dusuderia – 504.0 c/ha (50.4 t/ha), Skala – 496.4 c/ha (49.6 t/ha) and Abulkhayyr – 488.3 c/ha (48.8 t/ha). However, in 2025, Dusuderia and Abulkhayyr showed a decrease in yield, whereas Burya (445.0 c/ha) and Skala (412.0 c/ha), despite a decrease in yield compared with 2024, maintained the highest yield levels among the hybrids studied. Differences were revealed in sugar content between the years of research. In 2024, the highest sugar content was noted in the standard Sheker – 23.0%. Under the conditions of 2025, hybrids Skala – 21.7%, Olzhich – 21.2% and Bolashak – 20.5% were characterized by the highest sugar content. At the same time, these hybrids
combined high sugar content with good yield. The highest sugar yield among the studied variants during the research period was recorded for the hybrid Burya in 2024 – 116.2 c/ha (11.62 t/ha).
Conclusion. The results demonstrated the usefulness of ecological variety testing for the preliminary assessment of sugar beet hybrids under the conditions of Pavlodar Region. The most promising hybrids of domestic and foreign breeding, combining high yield and increased sugar content, were identified. It was established that hybrids Bolashak, Olzhich, Skala and Burya were characterized by comparatively stable productivity indicators during two years of research under different weather conditions of the
growing seasons.