Horticultural Characteristics and Susceptibility of Table Beet Cultivars to Cercospora Leaf Spot in New York

Abstract

Table beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris) production in New York is increasing for direct sale, use in value-added products, or processing. One of the most important diseases affecting table beet is cercospora leaf spot (CLS) caused by the fungus Cercospora beticola. CLS causes lesions on leaves that coalesce and leads to premature defoliation. The presence of CLS may cause buyer rejection at fresh markets. Defoliation from CLS may also result in crop loss because of the inability to harvest with top-pulling machinery. The susceptibility of popular table beet cultivars (Boldor, Detroit, Falcon, Merlin, Rhonda, Ruby Queen, and Touchstone Gold) to CLS was tested using C. beticola isolates representative of the New York population. Two trials were conducted by inoculating 6-week-old plants in the misting chamber. A small-plot replicated field trial was also conducted to examine horticultural characteristics of the cultivars. In the misting chamber trials, disease progress measured by the area under the disease progress stairs (AUDPS) was not significantly different between the red cultivars, Detroit and Ruby Queen, and was significantly higher in ‘Boldor’ than the other yellow cultivar Touchstone Gold. In the field trial, the number of CLS lesions per leaf at the final disease assessment and AUDPS were significantly lower in cultivar Ruby Queen than others and not significantly different between the yellow cultivars. The dry weight of roots was not significantly different among cultivars at first harvest (77 days after planting). At 112 days after planting, the dry weight of roots was significantly higher in cultivar Detroit than Rhonda and Boldor. Leaf blade length and the length:width ratio were cultivar-dependent, which may facilitate selection for specific fresh markets. Significant associations between canopy reflectance in the near infrared (IR) (830 nm), dry weight of foliage, and number of CLS lesions per leaf suggested that this technique may have utility for remote assessment of these variables in table beet research. Implications of these findings for the management of CLS in table beet are discussed.