Table beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is a source of the natural red-colored food dye (E162), highly demanded for the broad spectrum of its biological activity. The relevance of this study is dictated by the lack of knowledge about the dynamics of changes in the crop’s betalain content during the growing season, which impedes identifying the optimal timing of harvesting in order to obtain the dye. This paper presents the results of research into betacyanins (BC) and betaxanthins (BX), separately in the peel and flesh of roots, in 15 differently colored table beet accessions from the collection of the N.I. Vavilov Institute (VIR). There was no statistically significant accumulation of betalains in beets during the growing season. The pigment’s significant fluctuations associated with abiotic environmental factors were shown. The ratio of BC/BX in red-colored accessions was measured: 2.65 in the peel and 2.9 in the flesh. Strong positive relationships were found between BC and BX in the peel (r = 0.97) and flesh (r = 0.79) of red-colored biotypes, which stably persisted throughout the growing season. The beetroot peel was more sensitive to temperature changes, in contrast to the flesh. The negative effect of a temperature increase on betalains in red-colored beetroots intensified on the second or third day. The pigment composition of the flesh was less susceptible to the negative impact of increased temperatures, but reacted negatively to rainfall, becoming more expressed on the second or third day. A conclusion was made about the morphotype with high betalain content. Recommended cultivars are mid-ripening, with rounded and medium-sized roots, a large number of narrow leaf blades, and short and thin petioles.

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Background. Modern production imposes increased requirements to the range of used cultivars, so the development of new cultivars and hybrids most adapted to certain soil and climatic conditions is an important task of breeding. Materials and methods. Table beet accessions from the VIR collection originating from 17 countries were chosen as the material for the present research. The accessions were studied at Pushkin and Pavlovsk Laboratories of VIR, at the Genetic Diversity and Plant Bioresources Center of the All-Russian Breeding and Technological Institute of Horticulture and Nursery (VSTISP) and at Maikop Experiment Station, a branch of VIR, according to VIR's guidelines. Results. The relationships between earliness, bolting resistance, cold tolerance and resistance to black root have been established. The majority of the studied accessions had medium resistance to black root. The cultivars 'Asmer Detroit 72' (k-3113, Great Britain), 'Bravo' (k-3047, Russia) and 'Podzimnyaya A-474' (k-1678, Russia) distinguished by resistance to black root, were also characterized by cold tolerance and stable productivity. The differences in bolting resistance among the accessions were found to depend on their origin. The cultivars from Sweden, Finland and from the Russian Northwest were most resistant to bolting. The early accessions 'Perfected Detroit Dark Red' (k-1815, Canada), 'Bikor' (k-2873, the Netherlands), 'Severny shar' (k-1586, Russia) and 'Polyarnaya ploskaya' (k-1585, Russia) were characterized by high rates of the vegetative mass growth and bolting resistance. It was noted that the absolutely monogermic varieties have lower ripening rates, productivity, and resistance to bolting, compared to the multigerm ones, but have similar chemical composition indicators and root quality. Accessions with a wide distribution area that maintain high root productivity at 115-120% to the reference in different climatic conditions have been identified. Conclusions. The research has resulted in the identification of table beet accessions characterized by a complex of biological and economically important traits. The relationships between earliness, resistance to bolting and cold tolerance have been revealed. Genetic sources of monogermicity, bolting resistance, cold tolerance, black root resistance and high root quality are recommended for the use in breeding.

Relevance. Healthy eating is one of the many steps that lead to a healthy nation. It implies the provision of the human body with all the necessary elements for its normal functioning. Within the framework of import substitution, it is extremely important to identify and popularize valuable crops that are suitable for cultivation in the territory of the Russian Federation. One of these rarely studied and insufficiently studied cultures is the leaf variety of beet –chard (Beta vulgaris L. ssp. сicla). Man uses in the food the fleshy petioles and leaves of this plant.Material and methods. The purpose of the research was to identify the characteristics of the biochemical composition of chard and compare them with the widespread red beet. The object of the study was 44 accessions of red beet (Beta vulgaris L. ssp. vulgaris) and 32 accessions of chard from the VIR collection, differing in phenotype and origin. The accessions were cultivated in the vegetable crop rotation in the Research and production base “Pushkin and Pavlovsk laboratories of VIR” (Pushkin, Leningrad region) for two years (2014 and 2015). Biochemical analysis was performed using standard methods. The quantitative and qualitative composition of the metabolites was assessed using GС-МS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry).Results. The results of the study revealed significant variability of indicators depending on the specific genotype. The indicators of the content of ascorbic acid, protein and pigments: betanin in beetroot and β -carotene in leafy can be attributed to slightly varying. A detailed comparative description of the content of carbohydrate profile metabolites is given. It is shown that chard is better balanced in terms of monosaccharides content, differs in low sucrose content. The amino acid composition of chard is richer and more diverse than that of table beet, it is significantly ahead of table beet in essential amino acids for humans. Selected accessions of chard are recommended for use in infant, dietary and diabetic nutrition. Due to the high protein content (83% higher than that of red beet), the culture is recommended as an ingredient for feed production. Leaf beet has a number of valuable advantages: unpretentious in cultivation, decorative and, most importantly, has great potential for use in human nutrition and fodder production.

Background. Table beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is a source of ‘betanin’, a natural food dye known as food additive E-162. The VIR collection holds a large diversity of red beet accessions. It is the base for obtaining source material to breed cultivars with high betanin content.Materials and methods. In the framework of this study, which lasted from 2015 to 2018, a group of 29 accessions identified during the screening was analyzed. The pigment was assessed at the laboratory of the ECO RESOURCE Joint-Stock Company using Spectrophotometer SF-2000. Field experiments were performed according to VIR’s guidelines in 2015–2017 at Pushkin and Pavlovsk Laboratories of VIR, Volgograd Experiment Station of VIR, and Maikop Experiment Station of VIR.Results. Environmental and geographic tests demonstrated that the ability to accumulate the pigment was variable among the red beet accessions, and its concentrations were notably different. The research showed that accumulation of betanin is primarily associated with agroclimatic growing conditions. The dynamics of pigment accumulation can be both positive and negative. The optimal zone for growing the studied accession is Leningrad Province, where the highest content of betanin was observed. Mid-ripening and cold-resistant old landraces were a reference point in the search for the desired genotypes.Conclusion. The process of pigment accumulation is extremely responsive to weather conditions, soil water balance, and watering uniformity. The negative impact of these factors would smooth down the crop’s varietal polymorphism. Diseases and insect pests have led to slowing and stopping the accumulation of betanin. As a result of the comprehensive agroecological study of prototypes, promising accessions were identified and recommended for cultivation in Leningrad Province with the aim of betanin production.