Abstract
Used mainly for sucrose production, sugar beet is one of the most important crops in Castilla y León (Spain). Several studies have demonstrated the benefits of microorganisms in different crop management programs, among which Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR). This research aims to assess the beneficial effects of two PGPRs strains (Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf0-1 and Pseudomonas chlororaphis CECT 462) on sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) production. Three treatments: a PGPRs co-inoculation assay of untreated seeds without any chemical treatment (TB), a conventional treatment with commercial seeds and fungicide application (TT); and a control with seeds without protective coating, bacterial inoculation and chemical treatment (ST). The efficacy of PGPRs inoculation on sugar beet production was determined measuring periodically the photosynthetic status of plants, and the final yield and quality of tubers. Aerial and root plant biomass, maximum beet perimeter, polarization, and sugar values of the sugar beet plants inoculated with PGPRs showed higher values and significant differences to sugar beet subjected to other treatments. We could see that PGPRs inoculation (TB treatment) produced significant differences in the quantum yield of PSII (ΦPSII). TB showed the highest value for ΦPSII and the NPQ (non-photochemical quenching), the lowest value, even though the PSII (maximum quantum yield of photosystem II) was very similar in all treatments. The two assayed PGPR strains triggered a significant increase in sugar beet production yield and quality. PGPRs inoculation techniques could be used in different crops and they could be applied as biofertilizers, improving the agricultural production.
Highlights
Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L. var. saccharifera) is an important root crop in moderate climates and the main source of sugar (Dohm et al, 2014)
We evaluated the successive application of a mixed Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) culture (Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf0-1 and P. chlororaphis CECT 462) on the productivity of sugar beet evaluated in terms of production yield and sucrose content, and physiological changes in the whole cycle of the plant
The present work has studied the effect of PGPRs inoculation of sugar beet on agronomic performance, photosynthetic process changes and biocontrol effects on two main fungal pathogens
Summary
Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L. var. saccharifera) is an important root crop in moderate climates and the main source of sugar (Dohm et al, 2014). The worldwide cropping area covers over approximately 4.5 million Ha, with roughly 70% of sugar beet production in Europe (FAOSTAT, 2019). Annual world sucrose production stands 175.6 million tons in 2017, of which 28% is extracted from sugar. PGPR in Sugar Beet Production beet (Beta vulgaris L.), and the remainder from sugar cane OECD/FAO (2020). Sugar production in 2018 was approximately 2,870,907 tons (FAOSTAT, 2019). Sugar beet crop profitability is valued in terms of sugar production, which basically refers to its sucrose purity factor, as sucrose content is made up of more than 99.5% in the final white crystalline sugar (Pan et al, 2015)
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