Experimental sugar beet cultivars evaluated for rhizomania resistance and storability in Idaho, 2022

Authors: Strausbaugh, Carl

Submitted to: Plant Disease Management Reports
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/9/2024
Publication Date: 3/12/2024
Citation: Strausbaugh, C.A. 2024. Experimental sugar beet cultivars evaluated for rhizomania resistance and storability in Idaho, 2022. Plant Disease Management Reports. 18. Article V013.

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, six experimental sugar beet cultivars were screened to characterize them for both resistance to rhizomania and storage losses. Most cultivars exhibited some rhizomania resistance, since they had 0 to 7% susceptible plants and a root rating significantly better than the susceptible checks. Sucrose reduction in storage ranged from 32 to 87%, 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, six experimental cultivars were screened by growing them in a sugar beet field infested with BNYVV in Kimberly, ID during the 2022 growing season in a randomized complete block design with 6 replications. At harvest on 3-4 October 2022, roots were dug and evaluated for symptoms of rhizomania and also placed in an indoor commercial sugar beet storage building. After 152 days in storage, samples were evaluated for surface rot, weight loss, and sucrose loss. Surface root rot ranged from 19 to 87%, weight loss ranged from 11 to 21%, sucrose losses ranged from 32 to 87%, and estimated recoverable sucrose ranged from 376 to 8,222 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.