Breeding Potential of Root Chicory (Cichorium intybus L. var. sativum)

The objective of this study was to investigate the breeding potential of the inulin-containing root chicory which has potential as a new industrial crop. Polycross families and reference varieties were grown in field experiments at 3 locations to assess their performance and the amount of variation available for breeding. Significant variation between polycross families for all characters except for glucose content and the ratio total sugar/dry matter content was observed. Compared to ‘Fredonia’, 12 out of 72 polycross families gave between 15 % and 24 % more total sugar yield. Preliminary estimates for the heritability of two yield components were calculated by means of the parent-offspring regression analysis. Additive genetic variance seems to determine the inheritance of fructose and total sugar content. All findings suggest that the total sugar yield of root chicory can be considerably increased by breeding.