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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Kimberly, Idaho » Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #218488

Title: Sugar beet cultivars evaluated for storability in Idaho during the 2006/2007 storage season

Author
item Strausbaugh, Carl
item Eujayl, Imad
item REARICK, E - AMALGAMATED RESEARCH INC.
item FOOTE, PAUL - AMALGAMATED SUGAR CO.

Submitted to: Plant Disease Management Reports
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/18/2008
Publication Date: 4/3/2008
Citation: Strausbaugh, C.A., Eujayl, I.A., Rearick, E., Foote, P. 2008. Sugar beet cultivars evaluated for storability in Idaho during the 2006/2007 storage season. Plant Disease Management Reports. 2:FC022.

Interpretive Summary: Sucrose loss in storage is a considerable problem facing the sugar beet industry. Sucrose loss in storage has traditionally been studied through influences on respiration and storage decay fungi. Published data on the storability of disease-free roots from sugar beet cultivars stored in a commercial storage is lacking. Given the range in our data for recoverable sugar after storage, there would appear to be considerable potential for improving storability in commercial sugar beet cultivars. However, establishing significant differences in these data was troublesome. In order to establish better selection criteria, either more replications and/or conditions that allow for greater separation must be found.

Technical Abstract: Sucrose loss in storage is a considerable problem facing the sugar beet industry. To investigate storability, 32 commercial sugar beet cultivars were evaluated in an indoor commercial sugar beet pile in Paul, ID set to hold 36°F. Eight roots per plot were hand dug and topped from a replicated variety trial in Nampa, ID on the 12 Oct 2006 and placed in a randomized complete block design with 4 replicates on top of the indoor storage pile. After 144 days in storage, roots were evaluated for surface rot, weight reduction, and sugar reduction and compared to harvest parameters. Cultivars differed for root yield and estimated recoverable sugar (ERS) at harvest and for surface rot after being in storage. Cultivars did not differ for other parameters but sugar reduction ranged from 16 to 40 percent and ERS ranged from 13,000 to 8,449 lb/A. Based on regression analysis, ERS after storage was best explained by surface rot (r squared = 0.32). These data indicate there is considerable potential for improving cultivar storability, but more replications and/or conditions that allow for greater separation need to be found.