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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Kimberly, Idaho » Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #421707
Research Project: Decipher Molecular Mechanisms for Genetic Variations in Agronomically Important Traits to Improve Sugar Beet Disease Resistance and Yield

Location: Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research

Title: Commercial sugar beet cultivars evaluated for rhizomania resistance and storability in Idaho, 2023

Author
item Strausbaugh, Carl
item Majumdar, Rajtilak
item Vincill, Eric

Submitted to: Plant Health Progress
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/10/2024
Publication Date: 1/11/2025
Citation: Strausbaugh, C.A., Majumdar, R., Vincill, E.D. 2025. Commercial sugar beet cultivars evaluated for rhizomania resistance and storability in Idaho, 2023. Plant Health Progress. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHP-12-24-0148-PDMR.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1094/PHP-12-24-0148-PDMR

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, 23 commercial sugar beet cultivars were screened to characterize them for both resistance to rhizomania and storage losses. The cultivars exhibited some rhizomania resistance, since only 0 to 2% of plants had foliar symptoms and their root ratings were significantly better than the susceptible checks. Sucrose reduction in storage ranged from 29 to 96%, 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, 23 commercial cultivars were screened by growing them in a sugar beet field infested with BNYVV in Kimberly, ID during the 2023 growing season in a randomized complete block design with 6 replications. At harvest on 2-3 October 2022, roots were dug and evaluated for symptoms of rhizomania and also placed in an indoor commercial sugar beet storage building. After 160 days in storage, samples were evaluated for surface rot, weight loss, and sucrose loss. Surface root rot ranged from 8 to 99%, weight loss ranged from 10 to 26%, sucrose losses ranged from 29 to 96%, and estimated recoverable sucrose ranged from 51 to 9,650 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.