AKER aims to improve the competitiveness of sugar beet by 2020 by doubling the annual increase in sugar yield / hectare (4% vs 2%).
On Wednesday, September 26, 2012, Christian Huyghe, INRA Agriculture Deputy Scientific Director, Project Coordinator, officially launched the AKER programme at the headquarters of Florimond Desprez at Cappelle-en-Pévèle (Nord), in the presence of key figures, researchers, professionals of the sugar beet sector.
The 8-year AKER programme forms part of the “Programme d’Investissements d’Avenir” launched by the French Authorities as part of the “Agence Nationale de la Recherche”. With a budget of € 18.5 million and a resource of 80 researchers, the programme is supported by 11 public and private partners in the French sugar beet sector.
First, the AKER programme will expand the genetic variability of sugar beet by providing a collection of genes from resources around the world.It will also increase the value of AKER genetic material obtained by crossing with elite material, to produce new varieties with high potential for use by the industry.
This programme calls for the use of high throughput genotyping (genome analysis) equipment with the associated data processing and statistical support, as well as new methods of phenotyping (assessment of plant characteristics).
Christian Huyghe, INRA Agriculture Deputy Scientific Director, Project Coordinator: “with AKER, and thanks to the support of the “Programme d’Investissements d’Avenir” held by the French Research National Agency, we will improve the competitiveness of the French sugar beet in an international context that is marked by increasing sugar global demand”.
Marc Richard-Molard, General Manager of the ITB (French Beet Technical Institute), President of the Interprofessional Committee: “The AKER programme is an opportunity for the French sugar beet sector, for it involves not only public partners, but also the beet and sugar industry and the beet seed world leader”.
Bruno Desprez, Florimond Desprez General Manager, Chairman of the AKER Coordination Committee: “The AKER programme represents a break in the research methods and breeding tools, which will enable the sugar beet to remain among the leaders in arable crops, thanks to innovative breeding methods and techniques”.
