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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Sugarbeet Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #414106
Research Project: Improving Sugarbeet Productivity and Sustainability through Genetic, Genomic, Physiological, and Phytopathological Approaches

Location: Sugarbeet Research

Title: An alternative strategy to improve storage of sugarbeets

Author
item Kandel, Shyam
item SANDESH, DANGI - North Dakota State University
item Smith, David
item Herges, Grant

Submitted to: American Phytopathological Society
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2024
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Sugarbeet storage diseases cause significant sucrose loss with substantial financial risks to the sugarbeet industry. A wide range of fungal and bacterial pathogens may infect sugarbeet roots in factory yards, ventilated sheds, and outdoor piles. The postharvest pathogens impair the storability of sugarbeet roots, metabolize the sucrose, and increase the invert sugars content. Accumulation of invert sugars and other carbohydrate impurities significantly interferes with the sugar refinery process. No effective disease management strategies exist to control storage diseases and minimize sugar loss in storage piles. From our recent initial studies, fungal species Penicillium spp., Mucor spp., Pichia spp., and bacterial species Leuconostoc spp., Gluconobacter spp., and Clostridium spp. were isolated from the infected roots collected from sugarbeet piles. In this research, a low concentration of chlorine dioxide (ClO2) gas was very effective in eliminating the conidial viability of the sugarbeet storage pathogens. The ClO2 treatment reduced fungal and bacterial growth and tissue damage during storage. Quantities of invert sugar content and raffinose were significantly decreased in the ClO2-treated roots. We will conduct closed system and large-scale trials to emulate the storage condition in sugarbeet piles, will test germination viability, and will conduct artificial inoculation trials to determine the effects of ClO2 concentration on sugarbeet root rot pathogens.