Abstract
Beta vulgaris comprise various variety groups that are cultivated for vegetative or reproductive production. As a biennial crop, beets have a photothermal induction requirement for the transition from the vegetative to the reproductive stage. Bolting and flowering are not desirable when beets are cultivated for vegetative production and are suppressed during breeding programs, though these structures are important in seed production. Therefore, the potential of seed hydro priming as an enhancement technique to partially induce vernalization in seeds was evaluated. Following hydro priming, seeds were sown in October 2018 and evaluated during three selected phenological stages. Treating seeds with hydro priming significantly improved the emergence rate in all four tested cultivars. Moreover, treatments significantly lowered the required growing degree days (GDD) for transition to the reproductive stage in all four tested cultivars. Regardless of the treatment effect on an individual developmental stage, the treatment efficiency should be evaluated on the whole production process, depending on the purpose of production. The focus of this study was mainly on improvement of seed production performance. The outcome showed the potential of priming to influence the reproductive stages of the plant life cycle rather than just the germination.
Highlights
In the earliest records, beets were described as leafy plants
Statistical analysis of the recorded data in three developmental stages (09, 51, and 60) of sugar beet (SB), Fordhook Giant (FG), Detroit Beet (DB), and Bull’s Blood (BB) showed a significant effect for the priming time
The outcome of this study showed the potential of priming to influence the phenological stages bolting and flowering rather than just the germination
Summary
Beets were described as leafy plants (chards). Later, swollen root cultivars were developed. Beta vulgaris is a member of the Amaranthaceae family [2], and comprises a variety of groups of Swiss chard, garden beet (beetroot and red beet), leaf beet, fodder beet, and sugar beet [3]. Each of these groups has a different usage in industry and consumption. In Europe, sugar beet is the main crop for sugar production [3,4]. It provides clean energy through bioethanol and the production of hydrogen gas. The high concentrations of betaine and betalain in beetroot has made it a valuable resource for pharmaceutical and food companies [5]
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