Location: Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research
Title: Experimental sugar beet cultivars evaluated for rhizomania resistance and storability in Idaho, 2021Author
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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. Experimental sugar beet cultivars evaluated for rhizomania resistance and storability in Idaho, 2021. Plant Disease Management Reports. 17. Article V042. 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, 9 experimental 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 1% susceptible plants. All entries also had root ratings that were better than the susceptible checks. Sucrose reduction in storage ranged from 34 to 68%, indicating there is considerable room for improving storability with most cultivars. These 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, 9 experimental cultivars were screened by growing them in a sugar beet field infested with BNYVV in Kimberly, Idaho 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 14 to 53%, weight loss ranged from 15 to 23%, sucrose losses ranged from 34 to 68%, and estimated recoverable sucrose ranged from 766 to 7,974 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. |
