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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Sugarbeet and Potato Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #98667
Title: STORAGE RESPIRATION OF ROUNDUP-READY SUGARBEET HYBRIDS

Author
item Campbell, Larry
item VON HOLSTEIN, CARL - NOVARTIS SEEDS

Submitted to: Sugarbeet Research and Extension Reports
Publication Type: Experiment Station
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/11/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The feasibility of using broad spectrum herbicides to control weeds in sugarbeets has been demonstrated and will most likely become a commercial reality very soon. Transgenic sugarbeets with resistance to some of these herbicides promise to simplify weed control while having few negative effects. Understanding the impact, if any, of introduced genes on traits not related to herbicide response is important to producers, processors, and regulators and for public acceptance of food derived from Transgenic crops. The ability to retain sugar during storage is important to sugarbeet processors. Respiration that occurs while the beets are awaiting processing is responsible for 50-70% of the sugar loss that occurs during storage. The objective of this study was to determine if the alien gene that provides Roundup resistance affects respiration during storage. The results suggested that neither this particular introduction of a Roundup resistance gene no the application of Roundup Ultra herbicide affects storage respiration rate of sugarbeet.

Technical Abstract: The feasibility of using broad spectrum herbicides to control weeds in sugarbeets has been demonstrated and will most likely become a commercial reality very soon. Transgenic sugarbeets with resistance to some of these herbicides promise to simplify weed control while having few negative effects. Understanding the impact, if any, of introduced genes on traits not related to herbicide response is important to producers, processors, and regulators and for public acceptance of food derived from Transgenic crops. The ability to retain sugar during storage is important to sugarbeet processors. Respiration that occurs while the beets are awaiting processing is responsible for 50-70% of the sugar loss that occurs during storage. The objective of this study was to determine if the alien gene that provides Roundup resistance affects respiration during storage. Respiration rate was determined by measuring the carbon dioxide production of sugarbeets stored for 30 days at 40o F. A lack of significant differences between the non-transgenic hybrid and its transgenic counterpart when both received conventional herbicides indicates the gene conditioning resistance to Roundup is neutral in its effects upon respiration of sugarbeets. Near equality of conventional herbicides and Roundup treatments when applied to the transgenic beets indicated that the application of Roundup had no effect on storage respiration.