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Seedbed Design for Minimizing Sugar Beet (Beta vulgaris) Seedling Damage by Mild Radiation Freezes

Mayland, H.F. and Cary, J.W. (1968) Seedbed Design for Minimizing Sugar Beet (Beta vulgaris) Seedling Damage by Mild Radiation Freezes. Agronomy Journal. 60(3):311-314.

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Abstract

Greenhouse and field tests were made to evaluate the
frost protection afforded by various seedbed designs.
Planting in pockets was the most effective in reducing
radiative freeze damage to sugar beet (Beta vulgaris)
seedlings in the two-leaf stage. Pockets were 7.5 cm in
diameter by 5 cm deep, formed at 45° to the horizon in
45° south-facing slopes on sides of 20-cm-high soil ridges.
During freeze periods, leaf temperatures of the plants in
the pockets averaged 3.4 C and 2.2 C higher than leaf
temperatures of plants in the conventional seedbed under
greenhouse and field conditions, respectively. Temperature
differences were not as great under field conditions
because of low soil temperatures. The planting system
could, however, add 2 weeks to the spring growing season
for sugar beets in southern Idaho, provided soil temperatures
are high enough for germination.

Item Type: Article
NWISRL Publication Number: 0102
Subjects: Irrigated crops > Sugarbeet
Mass Import - autoclassified (may be erroneous)
Depositing User: Dan Stieneke
Date Deposited: 20 Nov 2010 21:50
Last Modified: 15 Mar 2017 21:38
Item ID: 117
URI: https://eprints.nwisrl.ars.usda.gov/id/eprint/117