Abstract
ABSTRACT Two fodder beet (Beta vulgaris L.) cultivars (‘Rivage’ and SF Brigadier™) were evaluated in a field experiment to quantify the effect of cultivar and sowing date on growth physiology. The crops were sown on 19 September, 17 October, 17 November and 15 December in 2014. Crops were sequentially harvested and separated into storage root, leaf blade and petiole for analysis. Fodder beet growth was sigmoidal; the growth of leaf blades and petioles dominated the lag phase while storage root growth dominated the exponential phase. The appearance of the 25th leaf marked the beginning of the exponential phase. The maximum growth rate was not affected by the cultivar or sowing date. Total dry matter (DM) yield was the same for September- and October-sown crops (2444 ± 164 g DM m−2); showing little advantage of early sowing because cold temperatures slowed canopy development. The November- and December-sown crops produced 18% and 30% lower yield than the October-sown crops. ‘Rivage’ partitioned 5% greater DM to the storage root, an indication of greater sink strength, than SF Brigadier. Information on the pattern of growth can aid management decisions for optimising yield, and is valuable for the improvement of fodder beet models.
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