Commercial sugar beet cultivars evaluated for rhizomania resistance and storability in Idaho, 2008

Strausbaugh, C.A. and Eujayl, Imad A. and Rearick, E. and Foote, P. (2009) Commercial sugar beet cultivars evaluated for rhizomania resistance and storability in Idaho, 2008. Plant Disease Management Reports. 3:p. FC108.

PDF 1310.pdf Download (73kB)

Abstract

Eighteen commercial sugar beet cultivars were evaluated in a commercial sprinkler-irrigated sugar beet field near
Jerome, ID where winter wheat was grown in 2007. The field trial relied on natural infection for rhizomania development.
The plots were planted on 22 Apr 08 to a density of 142,560 seeds/A, and thinned to 47,520 plants/A on 30 May. Plots were
four rows (22-in. row spacing) and 34.5 ft long. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with four
replications per cultivar. The crop was managed according to standard cultural practices. The roots were mechanically
topped and the center two rows were collected with a mechanical harvester on 9 Oct. At harvest the roots were evaluated for
rhizomania (Rz rating) using a scale of 0-9 (0 = healthy and 9 = dead). The percent sucrose at harvest was established based
on two eight-root samples from each plot. The samples were submitted to the Amalgamated Tare Lab (determined percent
sucrose, conductivity, nitrates, and tare). At harvest, eight roots per plot were also placed in a mesh onion bag, weighed, and
placed in an indoor commercial sugar beet storage facility on 9 Oct set to hold 35°F. On 29 Jan 09, the roots were evaluated
for the percentage of surface area covered by fungal growth (an undescribed basidiomycete that correlates with sucrose loss
in storage). On 2 Feb 09 roots were retrieved after 115 days in storage and evaluated for weight and percent sucrose (via gas
chromatography). To establish percent reduction in sucrose at harvest versus storage only samples from the same plots were
compared. Data were analyzed using the general linear models procedure (Proc GLM-SAS), and Fisher’s protected least
significant difference was used for mean comparisons.
Rhizomania was uniform throughout the plot area. Root rots and other disease problems were not evident in the
plot area. Root yield averaged 44 tons/A which was higher than Idaho’s average of 31 tons/A (USDA-National Ag. Stat.
Service). There were significant differences among cultivars for all variables except Rz rating and weight reduction. All
cultivars possessed at least the Rz1 gene for resistance to Beet necrotic yellow vein virus, so finding no differences for the Rz
rating was not surprising. Surface fungal growth got started in Nov 08 and ranged from 7 to 75% by 29 Jan 09 depending on
cultivar. By the end of the storage season, sucrose losses ranged from 45 to 66%. Thus, improving storability in sugar beet
cultivars to reduce sucrose losses could have considerable economic benefit.

Item Type:	Article
NWISRL Publication Number:	1310
Subjects:	Irrigated crops > Sugarbeet
Depositing User:	Users 6 not found.
Date Deposited:	30 Nov 2009 21:44
Last Modified:	17 Oct 2016 16:20
Item ID:	1333
URI:	https://eprints.nwisrl.ars.usda.gov/id/eprint/1333