Location: Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research
Title: Commercial sugar beet cultivars evaluated for rhizomania resistance and storability in Idaho, 2021Author
Submitted to: Plant Disease Management Reports
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 1/20/2023 Publication Date: 3/15/2023 Citation: Strausbaugh, C.A. 2023. Commercial sugar beet cultivars evaluated for rhizomania resistance and storability in Idaho, 2021. Plant Disease Management Reports. 17. Article V041. Interpretive Summary: Rhizomania caused by Beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV) is an important worldwide sugar beet disease problem, which can lead to significant yield loss in the field and can also lead to storage issues. Losses in storage can also be quite significant and important to the viability of the sugar beet industry. The primary means of controlling rhizomania is through host resistance. Thus, 26 commercial sugar beet cultivars were screened to characterize them for both resistance to rhizomania and storage losses. All cultivars exhibited rhizomania resistance based on foliar symptoms, since they had only 0 to 3% susceptible plants. However, cultivars HM103425 and HM126457 had root ratings that were not significantly different from the susceptible checks. Seven other entries had root ratings at the 3.0 cut off for susceptibility or just below it. Sucrose reduction in storage ranged from 28 to 68%, indicating there is considerable room for improving storability with most cultivars. This data will aid the sugar beet industry in improving cultivar performance in the field and storage. Technical Abstract: Rhizomania caused by Beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV) and storage losses are serious sugar beet production problems. To identify sugar beet cultivars with resistance to BNYVV and evaluate storability, 26 commercial cultivars were screened by growing them in a sugar beet field infested with BNYVV in Kimberly, ID during the 2021 growing season in a randomized complete block design with 6 replications. At harvest on 4-5 October 2021, roots were dug and evaluated for symptoms of rhizomania and also placed in an indoor commercial sugar beet storage building. After 132 days in storage, samples were evaluated for surface rot, weight loss, and sucrose loss. Surface root rot ranged from 12 to 53%, weight loss ranged from 14 to 23%, sucrose losses ranged from 28 to 68%, and estimated recoverable sucrose ranged from 766 to 9,622 lb/A. Given these response ranges, selecting cultivars for rhizomania resistance and combining this resistance with storability will lead to considerable economic benefit for the sugar beet industry. |