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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Kimberly, Idaho » Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #173845
Title: EVALUATION OF EXPERIMENTAL SUGARBEET HYBRIDS FOR RESISTANCE TO BEET CURLY TOP IN CANYON COUNTY, ID, 2004

Author
item Strausbaugh, Carl
item Gillen, Anne
item CAMP, S. - AMALGAMATED SUGAR CO.
item FOOTE, P. - AMALGAMATED SUGAR CO.

Submitted to: Biological and Cultural Tests for Control of Plant Diseases
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/12/2005
Publication Date: 4/1/2005
Citation: Strausbaugh, C.A., Gillen, A.M., Camp, S., Foote, P. 2005. Evaluation of experimental sugarbeet hybrids for resistance to beet curly top in Canyon County, ID, 2004. Biological and Cultural Tests for Control of Plant Diseases. 20:FC015. Available: http:/www.apsnet.org/online.

Interpretive Summary: Beet curly top virus (BCTV) is widespread throughout the western United States. The virus results in dwarfed plants with distorted rolled leaves and yield loss. The primary means of disease control is the use of disease resistant cultivars. In an effort to identify experimental hybrids with acceptable levels of resistance, we evaluated 25 hybrids for resistance to BCTV based on natural infection. Most of the experimental hybrids had acceptable levels of resistance based on visual symptoms. However there were considerable differences between hybrids based on root yield and estimated recoverable sugar.

Technical Abstract: Twenty-five experimental sugarbeet hybrids submitted to the official variety trials were evaluated for resistance to Beet curly top virus (BCTV). Hybrids were planted in a commercial sprinkler-irrigated sugarbeet field and exposed to a natural epiphytotic of BCTV. Experimental units were arranged in a randomized complete block design with seven replications. Plots were evaluated for BCTV based on a Disease Index (DI) scale of 0 to 9 (no symptoms to dead) on Sept 14, 2004 by three raters. The moderately severe epiphytotic resulted in uniform disease pressure and significant differences between hybrids for DI, root yield, sugar content, and estimated recoverable sugar. Our disease ratings were positively correlated with (r = 0.632, P < 0.0001) ratings from the 2004 Curly Top Nursery. There was no correlation between DI and estimated recoverable sugar which was probably due to field or genetic variation influencing yield.