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Title: Ft. Collins Sugar Beet Germplasm Evaluated for Resistance to Rhizomania and Storability in Idaho, 2010

Author
item Panella, Leonard
item Strausbaugh, Carl
item Eujayl, Imad

Submitted to: Plant Disease Management Reports
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2011
Publication Date: 8/12/2011
Citation: Panella, L.W., Strausbaugh, C.A., Eujayl, I.A. 2011. Ft. Collins Sugar Beet Germplasm Evaluated for Resistance to Rhizomania and Storability in Idaho, 2010. Plant Disease Management Reports. 5:FC113. Online Publication doi:10.1094/PDMR05.

Interpretive Summary: Sugar beet germplasm and commercial check cultivars were evaluated in a sprinkler-irrigated sugar beet field near Kimberly, ID where sugar beet was grown in 2009. The field trial relied on natural inoculum for rhizomania development. Plots were single rows (22-in. row spacing) and 10 ft long. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with eight replications per entry. The crop was managed according to standard cultural practices, except for irrigation. The frequency of irrigation was higher than normal during June to increase the chance of rhizomania, but the total amount of water applied was normal. The percentage of leaves per plot with upright narrow yellow leaves was evaluated on July 29. The roots were mechanically topped and lifted on October 13. The first ten roots in each plot were evaluated using a scale of 0-9 (0 = healthy and 9 = dead). The first eight roots were placed in a mesh onion bag and held in an indoor commercial sugar beet storage facility. On February 3, 2011, the roots were evaluated for the percentage of surface area covered by fungal growth after 114 days in storage. Data were analyzed for mean comparisons. Rhizomania was uniform throughout the plot area and other disease problems were not evident. The rhizomania led to differences although the storage data were not significantly different. The foliar rating for rhizomania ranged from 0 to 100%, and gave better separation of germplasm lines than the root rating. The commercial checks responded as expected for rhizomania.

Technical Abstract: Sugar beet germplasm and commercial check cultivars were evaluated in a sprinkler-irrigated sugar beet field near Kimberly, ID where sugar beet was grown in 2009. The field trial relied on natural inoculum for rhizomania development. The seed was treated with clothianidin (2.1 oz a.i. per 100,000 seed) to limit the influence of pests and curly top. The plots were planted on April 26 to a density of 142,560 seeds/A, and thinned to 47,520 plants/A on June 12. Plots were single rows (22-in. row spacing) and 10 ft long. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with eight replications per entry. The crop was managed according to standard cultural practices, except for irrigation. The frequency of irrigation was higher than normal during June to increase the chance of rhizomania, but the total amount of water applied was normal. The percentage of leaves per plot with foliar symptoms (upright narrow yellow leaves) was evaluated on July 29. The roots were mechanically topped and lifted on October 13. The first ten roots in each plot were evaluated using a scale of 0-9 (0 = healthy and 9 = dead). The first eight roots were placed in a mesh onion bag and held in an indoor commercial sugar beet storage facility set at hold 35°F. On February 3, 2011, the roots were evaluated for the percentage of surface area covered by fungal growth after 114 days in storage. 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 and other disease problems were not evident. The rhizomania variables led to significant differences, although the storage data were not significantly different. The foliar rating for rhizomania ranged from 0 to 100%, which gave better separation of germplasm lines than the root rating. The commercial checks responded as expected for rhizomania.