Beet Cultivars Research Articles

The Effect of Different Salt Concentrations on Germination and Early Development of Some Sugar Beet (Beta vulgaris L.) Cultivars

Şeker pancarı kök gövdesinin içerdiği yüksek orandaki şeker (sakkaroz) içeriği itibarı ile insan beslenmesi açısından son derece önemli olan bir endüstri bitkisidir. Ülkemizde bitkisel kaynaklı şeker üretiminin ana kaynağı olan şeker pancarının birden fazla kullanım alanı vardır ve bu açıdan önemli bir bitkidir. Farklı tuz dozlarının şeker pancarı tohumlarında çimlenme ve erken gelişim dönemlerine olan etkisinin araştırıldığı bu çalışma tesadüf parsellerinde faktöriyel deneme desenine göre 3 tekerrürlü olacak şekilde kontrollü koşullarda yürütülmüştür. Çalışmada ülkemizde ticari olarak tarımı yapılan; Calixta, Valentina, Diamenta, Sentinel ve Agnessa çeşitleri materyal olarak kullanılmış olup tuzluluk dozları ise 4, 8, 12 ve 16 dS/m olacak şekilde ayarlanmış ve kontrol grubuna ise sadece saf su ilave edilip 12 gün boyunca karanlık ortamda bitkiler çimlenmeye bırakılmıştır. Araştırmada kök uzunluğu, sap uzunluğu, fide boyu, çimlenme hızı, ortalama çimlenme süresi, çimlenme gücü, çimlenme oranı, tohum güç indeksi ve çimlenme indeksi özellikleri incelenmiştir. Çalışma sonucunda elde edilen verilere göre incelenen bütün özellikler açısından çeşit ve dozlar arasında istatistiksel olarak % 1 düzeyinde önemli farklılıkların bulunduğu, en yüksek doz olan 16 dS/m’ de bazı çeşitlerde hiç çimlenme görülmediği ve en iyi değerlerinin kontrol grubundan alındığı sonucuna varılmıştır.

Cultivar and Fungicide Evaluations for Cercospora Leaf Spot Control in Organic and Conventional Table Beet Production

Cercospora leaf spot (CLS), caused by the fungal pathogen Cercospora beticola, is the most destructive foliar disease of table beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris) in Wisconsin, USA, and globally. Under conducive conditions, symptomatic lesions on the leaf expand and coalesce forming large necrotic areas that can ultimately lead to complete defoliation. This damage reduces productivity and threatens the ability to mechanically harvest. CLS damage also detracts from the visual appeal of fresh market bunched beets to such an extent that growers risk buyer rejection if CLS severity is observed to be greater than 5%. Fungicide use for CLS control is threatened by the emergence of resistant C. beticola strains, and the application of host resistance is constrained by limited knowledge of cultivar reaction to CLS in table beet. This study aimed to address the knowledge gaps of fungicide efficacy and cultivar reaction by conducting replicated field trials in multiple table beet growing environments across Wisconsin. Broad variation for resistance to CLS was observed among the 10 included cultivars. The mean area under disease progress curve (AUDPC) across environments for the most susceptible cultivar was 267% greater than the most resistant cultivar. Spearman correlations between environments for mean cultivar AUDPC value ranged from 0.71 to 0.99, revealing consistent cultivar CLS reactions across environments. Although susceptible cultivars surpassed 5% severity in all environments, the resistant cultivars remained below this threshold in six of the 10 environments. By comparison with resistant sugar beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris) cultivars, however, all tested table beets appeared susceptible to CLS, highlighting the potential for a CLS breeding effort in table beet. Neither of the evaluated Organic Materials Review Institute–listed treatments were effective at limiting CLS disease progress, whereas both tested conventional fungicides significantly reduced disease severity over the nontreated plots. These findings may provide helpful guidance to table beet growers affected by CLS in Wisconsin and beyond.

Sugar Beet Rooting Pattern Mediates Stomatal and Transpiration Responses to Progressive Water Stress

Water stress is the main risk facing sugar beet production in Europe and is expected to worsen with climate change. Therefore, future production essentially depends on the traits that sustain growth during water shortages. In this study, we investigated the interplay of stomatal conductance and transpiration rate as well as the root characteristics of six sugar beet cultivars in a climate chamber experiment under environmental conditions progressing from a non-stressed initial state toward high atmospheric water demand, followed by reduced soil water supply and then by a combination of high demand and low supply. Stomatal conductance quickly responded to changing conditions, dropping from 406.4 to 42.5 mmol m−2 s−1, one order of magnitude, with the transition to reduced soil water availability. The transpiration rate showed a slightly delayed response compared with stomatal conductance, while we observed an inverse influence on the subsequent stomatal behavior exerted by the depletion/conservation of available soil water. The rooting pattern substantially differed among genotypes, predominantly at depths between 60 and 80 cm, where 50.5% of the root length was allocated. Longer roots buffered the effects of the reduction in stomatal conductance at the onset of water supply limitation, with 5.4 mmol m−2 s−1 higher conductance per 100 cm of root length. Therefore, breeding and/or management measures targeting root system vigor are the key to the growth maintenance of sugar beet during dry periods.

Evaluation of the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of sugar beet cultivars in different sowing times and transplanting and direct-seeding systems

To study the characteristics of sugar beet cultivars in transplanting and direct-seeding systems on three different sowing times (March 29, April 8, and April 18), a split plot experiment based on randomized complete blocks in three replications was carried out in Miandoab and Bokan regions, Northwest of Iran in 2016. The results showed that the highest nitrogen content was observed between the two test locations in the Bukan area. Results showed that the low root sodium, alkalinity, and molasses content was recorded for transplanting system. The minimum content of root sodium, nitrogen, and molasses sugar was observed in the plants sown on March 29. The Dorotea cultivar showed the highest root yield, sugar yield, and white sugar yield and the lowest root nitrogen and molasses sugar content compared to Isabella and Ekbatan. The highest white sugar content, coefficient of sugar extraction, sugar yield, root yield, and white sugar yield were recorded in the transplanting system with the sowing time of March 29; however, the highest content of root potassium and sugar content was observed in the transplanting system sown on April 18. The highest root yield was observed in the Dorotea cultivar, with a sowing time of March 29. Among the locations in the cultivar and planting system interaction treatments, the highest sugar content was found in the Bukan area's Dorotea cultivar in the transplanting system. Finally, the highest sugar yield was related to the transplanting system on March 29 in the Bukan area. It can be stated that an early sowing time (March 29), transplanting, and Dorotea variety were identified as the most appropriate treatments to improve the economic traits of sugar beet.

Temporal Accumulation of Geosmin, Oxalic Acid, and Total Dissolved Solids in Table Beet

Consumers perceive flavor as a critically important attribute of vegetable crops. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), spectrophotometry, and refractometry of tissue samples collected during multiple years from table beet (Beta vulgaris) at various stages of maturity were performed to characterize the endogenous production of geosmin, oxalic acid, and total dissolved solids within the root. The geosmin concentration was primarily influenced by the cultivar and peaked early during the growing season, with root concentrations at 6 weeks after planting that were 312% higher, on average, than those found in harvest stage roots at 15 weeks after planting. The highest average concentration of geosmin in harvest stage roots was detected in tissue from the cultivar Bull’s Blood (16.08 μg⋅kg−1). The oxalic acid concentration showed a strong cultivar influence and statistically significant variability across the growing season. Hybrid beet cultivar Boro had the lowest soluble oxalic acid concentration (95.73 mg⋅100 g−1 fresh tissue) at all locations and during all years. The oxalic acid concentration peaked 12 weeks after planting, and it was lower at the postharvest sampling date 18 weeks after planting. Total dissolved solids (TDS) concentrations were strongly influenced by year and growing environment and displayed crossover interactions for environment × week. TDS measurements had a moderate negative correlation with root mass. ‘Chioggia Guardsmark’ consistently had the highest TDS during all years and at all locations at 12.01 °Brix. The TDS varied significantly according to time, and diurnal sampling revealed fluctuations as large as 4 °Brix over the course of a 12-hour period. The TDS concentrations increased throughout the growing season, although the rate at which they increased changed according to plant age. The results from this study suggest that interactions between cultivar, time, and environment are important determinants of oxalic acid and TDS concentrations, but they have less influence on geosmin. This information may influence the methods that plant breeders use to collect phenotypic data of important flavor compounds in beets.

Comparative proteomic analysis of two contrasting cultivars reveals the mechanism of sugar beet response to freezing stress

Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is an economic crop integrating grain and feed production, and is a major source of sucrose. Freezing stress can cause dehydration and necrosis of seedlings. Therefore, it is important to study the basic physiological and proteomic mechanisms of different sugar beet cultivars under freezing stress. In this study, compared with freezing-sensitive (SME) cultivar, the freezing-tolerant (TBP) cultivar showed higher photosynthetic rate, antioxidant enzyme activity, proline and abscisic acid levels, lower malondialdehyde and gibberellin levels and relative conductivity under freezing stress. Moreover, comparative proteomic analysis revealed that proteins mapped to photosynthesis, tryptophan synthesis, anthocyanin synthesis, tricarboxylic acid cycle, reactive oxygen species scavenging and sucrose metabolism pathways were more abundant in TBP, indicating that these metabolic pathways may be beneficial to improve freezing tolerance. In particular, compared with SME cultivar, proteins involved in tryptophan synthesis were found to be upregulated only in TBP cultivar under freezing stress, including phospho-2-dehydro-3-deoxyheptonate aldolase 1, probable inactive shikimate kinase like 1, and anthranilate synthase alpha subunit 2. In addition, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that mRNA expression of these three proteins was significantly upregulated in the freezing stress (−5 ℃) vs. control group in the TBP cultivar. Additionally, tryptophan content in TBP leaves increased significantly under freezing stress, while in SME it showed no significant change. Furthermore, the application of exogenous tryptophan solution significantly reduced the mortality rate of sugar beet seedlings (17-day-old) under freezing stress. This study provides a foundation for further functional analysis to fully understand the molecular mechanisms of adaptation to freezing stress in sugar beet.

First Report of Leaf Spot of Sugar Beet Caused by Stemphylium vesicarium in Minnesota, USA.

In July 2021, sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) leaves with numerous tan to brown spots with white-bleached center and oval to irregularly shaped were collected from a field in Minnesota (MN) (46.2774° N, 96.3100° W), with 15% disease incidence and 30% disease severity. Leaves were washed with tap water then surface disinfected in 1% NaOCl aqueous solution for 1 min. Samples were rinsed thrice with sterile distilled water and dried in a laminar flow hood. A 2-cm leaf disc was plated on potato dextrose agar amended with streptomycin sulfate (200 mg/L) and incubated for four days at 25°C under 12-h light/dark cycle. Single spore cultures were obtained by suspending in sterile water spores harvested from a single colony. The suspension was streaked on a dish with V8 agar media and incubated as described. Five pure cultures were transferred to clarified V8 agar media for morphological feature observations. Colonies were uniform in appearance and developed light to olivaceous green mycelium. Conidia were dark brown to olivaceous green in color and measured 30 × 18 μm (n=20). They were oblong to broadly oval shaped muriform, and multiseptated (1 to 5 septa). Hyphae were septate and pale brown. Conidiophores were short, septate, and light to dark brown in color. Based on the morphological characteristics, isolates were identified as Stemphylium vesicarium (Simmons 1969). Genomic DNA of all five isolates were extracted using the DNeasy Plant Mini Kit (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany). PCR amplification and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region (ITS1/ITS4 primers), the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (5F2/7cR primers) (O'Donnell et al. 2009), the plasma membrane ATPase (ATPD-F1/ATPD-R1) gene (Lawrence et al. 2013), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate-dehydrogenase gene (GAPDH) (gpd1/gpd2) (Berbee et al. 1999), and β-tubulin gene (Bt2a/Bt2b primers) (Glass and Donaldson 1995) were done using standard procedures. Sequences were submitted to GenBank under accession numbers OP584331 (ITS), OP589289 (RPB2), OP589290 (ATPase), OP994239 (GAPDH) and OP382477 (β-tubulin). The BLASTN search of the sequences showed 100% similarity with MT629829 (ITS) (525/525 bp), KC584471 (RPB2) (859/859 bp), JQ671770 (ATPase) (794/794 bp), MK105974 (GAPDH) (519/519 bp) and MN410922 (β-tubulin) (320/320 bp) reference sequences of S. vesicarium. Pathogenicity tests were done using four cv. Maribo MA 504 plants. S. vesicarium spore suspensions (1 × 106/ml) were sprayed on three leaves from each plant. This trial was repeated with three replicates. A similar group of plants were sprayed with autoclaved distilled water to serve as non-inoculated control. All plants were incubated in the mist chamber for 5 days at 25°C, under daily 14/10 light-dark cycles, and >80% relative humidity, then transferred to the greenhouse kept at 23 ± 2°C and a 12-h photoperiod. Fifteen days post-inoculation, all inoculated plants had multiple lesions with dark brown margins with a grayish center, and non-inoculated control plants were asymptomatic. The re-isolated fungus was morphologically similar to isolates retrieved from the field. S. vesicarium was reported on sugar beet in Michigan (Metheny et al. 2022). This is the first report of S. vesicarium causing disease on sugar beet in MN. Stemphylium sp. is a major problem of sugar beet in the Netherlands (Hanse et al. 2015). Efforts should be made to prevent introduction of susceptible beet cultivars so that the disease does not become widespread in the USA.

The Effect of the Combination of Organic Fertilizer and Spraying with Silicon and Calcium on the Growth and Production of Three Cultivars of Beet

Field experiments were carried out for the autumn season 2022- 2021 in the field of College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences - University of Baghdad - Jadiriyah Complex –Station A- to study a combination of organic fertilizer (Vermicompost) and cow manure as well as a control treatment (soil only) intertwined with Spraying with silicon, calcium and distilled water (control) in the growth and production of three cultivars of beet (Cylindra, Dark Red, Red) within the design of Completely Randomized Block Design at three replications, The number of treatments was 9 for each replicate. The means were compared according to the least significant difference (L.S.D) at a probability level of 5 %, the results were as follows:-The interaction treatment of the Vermicompost with calcium spraying in the number of leaves, the concentration of chlorophyll, the percentage of nitrogen and phosphorous), was significantly superior to the combination of Vermicompost with spraying silicon significantly (in the percentage of potassium, the concentration of silicon, the root yield, the leaf yield, the percentage of dry matter, phenols and sugars), at a rate of (387.67,3%.28 mg kg−1, 35.88 ton h−1, 50 ton h−1, 8.78%, 014% and 889%) respectively. As for the percentage of calcium, it was characterized by the combination treatment of cow manure with calcium spray, and the combination of cow manure with silicon spray was superior in T.S.S. and the percentage of fiber at 3.17 and 11.66% respectively for the Red variety.As for the variety Red Dark it was significantly superior to the mixture of the medium vericompost with silicon spray in the number of leaves, the concentration of chlorophyll and the percentage of nitrogen, the concentration of silicon, Root yield and leaf yield Percentage of dry matter T.S.S, phenols and sugars at (10 leaf plant−1, 82.2 mg 100 fresh wet−1, 3.53%, 313.00 mg kg−1, 36.35 ton h−1, 40.92 ton h−1, 6.86%, 11.03%, 0.16% and 845%) respectively, while the percentage of phosphorous and potassium, it was characterized by the combination of cow manure with silicon spray, and the combination of vermicompost with calcium spray was superior to the percentage of calcium and the percentage of fiber by giving it 2.19% and 2.50% respectively. As for the variety Cylindra it was significantly superior to the combination of the Vericompost with silicon spray in the number of leaves, concentration of chlorophyll, percentage of nitrogen, phosphorous, silicon, root yield, leaf yield, Percentage of dry matter, T.S.S, Whereas, the treatment with cow manure overlapping with silicon was superior in the percentage of potassium, phenols and sugars, as it gave 4.11% 0.13 and 665% respectively, The treatment of the Vermicompost with calcium spray was characterized in the percentage of calcium as it gave 1.65%.

Studying the Effect of Genotype-Environment Interaction on the Quantitative and Qualitative production Potential of Different Sugar Beet Cultivars (Beta vulgaris L.)

Studying the Effect of Genotype-Environment Interaction on the Quantitative and Qualitative production Potential of Different Sugar Beet Cultivars (Beta vulgaris L.)

Enhancing Sugar Beet Plant Health with Zinc Nanoparticles: A Sustainable Solution for Disease Management

Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is susceptible to various diseases, especially powdery mildew, caused by Erysiphe betae. Using nanotechnology in agriculture could revolutionize the sector by providing new tools for fast disease diagnosis and disease resistance. This study investigated the potential of Zn nanoparticles in inducing resistance to powdery mildew in sugar beet plants through two experiments. The first experiment assessed the susceptibility of sugar beet cultivars to powdery mildew, with Puma being the most resistant and Top being the most susceptible. The second experiment examined the impact of Zn NPs in inducing resistance to powdery mildew. Zinc-oxide nanoparticles (ZN) and zinc sulfate (ZS) at concentrations of 100, 50 and 10 ppm were used as foliar applications. The results showed that most treatments significantly increased levels of chlorophyll a, b, and total chlorophyll, total soluble sugars, endogenous H2O2, and activity of peroxidase (POD) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO), while reducing the severity of powdery mildew disease, lipid peroxidation (MDA), phenolics concentrations and catalase activity, especially Zn at concentrations of 100 and 50 ppm compared to infected control. The physiological role of Zn NPs in inducing resistance against powdery mildew disease is attributed to the production and accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative reactions of phenolic compounds catalyzed by PPO and/or POD. Our results suggested that ZnO nanoparticles at 100 and 50 ppm can be used as a foliar spray to reduce the harmful impacts of biotic stress caused by E. betae in sugar beet plants by inducing resistance to the pathogen.

English

Salt stress is a major problem at global level and it is very important to utilize salt-affected soils using appropriate techniques. Growing of halophytes on saline-sodic soil is a win-win strategy getting economic crop production and conserving soil resources. An experiment was conducted to characterize the salt-resistance sugar beet cultivar at seedling based on growth physiological and biochemical parameters under different levels of salt stress. A hydroponic experiment was conducted using eight sugar beet cultivars and two salt stress levels (60 and 120 mM NaCl) along with a control. The plants were harvested ten days after giving salt stress. Cluster dendrogram and principal component analysis were the most appropriate methods for screening the suitable cultivar. Most of the sugar beet cultivars responded resistance against salt stress however VEDA cultivar performed better against salt stress. Thus VEDA cultivar acquired highest position at 60 mM NaCl showing the highest growth attributes antioxidant activity with higher K+/Na+ ratio hydrogen peroxide phenolic and melandialdehyde content indicating strong defense mechanism against salt induced oxidative and osmotic stress mainly owing to the best K+ and Na+ balance. Therefore VEDA cultivar is considered as the best salt-resistant cultivar with great potential to be grown on salt-affected soils and further characterizing of this cultivar can lead to develop further salt-resistant cultivars as well.

<i>In Vitro </i>and<i> in Vivo </i>Management of <i>Sclerotium rolfsii</i> the Cause of Sugar Beet Root Rot Disease

Management of sugar beet damping off and root rot diseases caused by <i>Sclerotium rolfsii</i> is urgently needed. Therefore, antifungal activities of 13 materials including 2 bio agents, 2 seaweeds, 3 chemical inducers and 6 fungicides were evaluated. Required inoculum potential of either fungal mass or sclerotia to reach more than 50% of disease incidence was firstly investigated. Fungal mass inoculation (40-500g/10kg of soil) provided 70-100% damping off and 100% root rot. Meanwhile, 6.7-36.7% of damping off and no or negligible root rot were obtained using 300-500 sclerotia /10kg of soil. On the other hand, <i>S. rolfsii</i> mycelial growth was completely suppressed <i>in vitro</i> by all tested materials. However, various antifungal activities of these materials were shown <i>in vivo</i> after seed soaking in the 1^st (2020/2021) trail or seed soaking followed by soil drenching in the 2^nd (2021/2022) trail. Tipo top (Tebuoconazole 25.9%: 1cm/L) fungicide was the most effective material in the 1^st trail since the seedling survival was up to 80%, followed by potassium silicate (1cm/L) and Score (Difenoconazole 25%: 1cm/L) fungicide. Seed soaking followed by soil drenching with Tipo top in the 2^nd trail were protected sugar beet from sowing to harvest and enhanced the root weight. Additionally, this study illustrated that both of sugar beet root weight and sucrose content were decreased as root rot severity increased. In conclusion, chemical fungicides are unfortunately still the fast and potent way for <i>S. rolfsii</i> management, especially with the limitation of resistant sugar beet cultivars.

Effect of various forms and rates of boron on growth, yield and quality of three sugar beet cultivars Under New Valley Conditions.

Two field experiments were carried out at the Agronomy Department Experimental Farm faculty of agriculture, New Valley University, New Valley Governorate, Egypt during the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021seasons, to study the effect of various forms and rates of boron on growth, yield and quality of three sugar beet cultivars. Seven foliar application of boron (borax) Na2B4O7 .10 H2O (11% B) and nano boron oxide were sprayed on sugar beet after 60 and 90 days from sowing). for each boron form spraying (control, 100,200,300 ppm borax and 100,200,300 ppm nano boron oxide twice in a row at 60 and 90 days from sowing). was arranged horizontally. as well as sugar beet cultivars (Gazelle, Kawemira and Hossam) were distributed in vertically. The obtained results revealed that boron foliar application at the rate of 300 ppm nano boron oxide fed-1twice in a row at 60 and 90 days from sowing. recorded the highest significant mean values of root length(cm), root diameter(cm), single root weight(kg/plant), leaves weight/plant (kg plant-1), root yield (ton fed-1), sucrose percentage, sugar recovery percentage and sugar yield (ton fed-1) traits in the two growing seasons. Meantime, hossam cultivar was superior to the others of all studied traits. All interaction effects showed significant differences for traits in the two growing seasons. Were obtained from hossam cultivar with 300 ppm nano boron oxide fed-1 twice in a row at 60 and 90 days from sowing.

Viabilidade agrobioeconômica de combinações de cultivares de feijão caupi imaturo e de beterraba em ambiente semiárido

ABSTRACT The objective of this work was to evaluate the agro-bioeconomic feasibility of immature cowpea and beet cultivar combinations in intercropping systems in a semi-arid environment. Experiments were carried out in two cropping years using a randomized block design with four replicates. The treatments consisted of four cowpea cultivars (‘BRS Tumucumaque,’ ‘BRS Cauamé,’ ‘BRS Guariba,’ and ‘BRS Itaim’) and two beet cultivars (‘Early Wonder’ and ‘Fortuna’). In each block of the experiments, plots in monocropping of the cultivars were sown as additional treatments to obtain the following agronomic and competition indexes and economic indicators: land equivalent ratio (LER), area time equivalent ratio (ATER), land use efficiency (LUE), beet equivalent production (BEP), competitive ratio (CR), crop aggressivity (A), gross income (GI), net income (NI), rate of return (RR), and corrected monetary advantage (CMA). The highest agro-bioeconomic efficiency of the tested intercropping systems was achieved in the combination of cowpea cultivar BRS Guariba and beet cultivar Fortuna. Beet behaved as the dominant crop, and cowpea as the dominated crop in all evaluated intercropping systems. The indexes and indicators demonstrated the complementarity and sustainability of the combination of cowpea cultivar BRS Guariba with beet cultivar Fortuna.

Genome-wide analysis of long non-coding RNAs in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) under drought stress.

Drought stress is one of the most severe abiotic stresses that restrict global crop production. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been proved to play a key role in response to drought stress. However, genome-wide identification and characterization of drought-responsive lncRNAs in sugar beet is still lacking. Thus, the present study focused on analyzing lncRNAs in sugar beet under drought stress. We identified 32017 reliable lncRNAs in sugar beet by strand-specific high-throughput sequencing. A total of 386 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) were found under drought stress. The most significantly upregulated and downregulated lncRNAs were TCONS_00055787 (upregulated by more than 6000 fold) and TCONS_00038334 (downregulated by more than 18000 fold), respectively. Quantitative real-time PCR results exhibited a high concordance with RNA sequencing data, which conformed that the expression patterns of lncRNAs based on RNA sequencing were highly reliable. In addition, we predicted 2353 and 9041 transcripts that were estimated to be the cis- and trans-target genes of the drought-responsive lncRNAs. As revealed by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis, the target genes of DElncRNAs were significantly enriched in organelle subcompartment, thylakoid, endopeptidase activity, catalytic activity, developmental process, lipid metabolic process, RNA polymerase activity, transferase activity, flavonoid biosynthesis and several other terms associated with abiotic stress tolerance. Moreover, 42 DElncRNAs were predicted as potential miRNA target mimics. LncRNAs have important effects on plant adaptation to drought conditions through the interaction with protein-encoding genes. The present study leads to greater insights into lncRNA biology and offers candidate regulators for improving the drought tolerance of sugar beet cultivars at the genetic level.

Effect of boron deficiency on the photosynthetic performance of sugar beet cultivars with contrasting boron efficiencies.

Boron (B) deficiency severely affects the quality of sugar beet production, and the employment of nutrient-efficient varieties for cultivation is a crucial way to solve environmental and resource-based problems. However, the aspect of leaf photosynthetic performance among B-efficient sugar beet cultivars remains uncertain. The B deficient and B-sufficient treatments were conducted in the experiment using KWS1197 (B-efficient) and KWS0143 (B-inefficient) sugar beet cultivars as study materials. The objective of the present study was to determine the impacts of B deficiency on leaf phenotype, photosynthetic capacity, chloroplast structure, and photochemical efficiency of the contrasting B-efficiency sugar beet cultivars. The results indicated that the growth of sugar beet leaves were dramatically restricted, the net photosynthetic rate was significantly decreased, and the energy flux, quantum yield, and flux ratio of PSII reaction centers were adversely affected under B deficiency. Compared to the KWS0143 cultivar, the average leaf area ratio of the KWS1197 cultivar experienced less impact, and its leaf mass ratio (LMR) increased by 26.82% under B deficiency, whereas for the KWS0143 cultivar, the increase was only 2.50%. Meanwhile, the light energy capture and utilization capacity of PSII reaction centers and the proportion of absorbed light energy used for electron transfer were higher by 3.42% under B deficiency; KWS1197 cultivar managed to alleviate the photo-oxidative damage, which results from excessive absorbed energy (ABS/RC), by increasing the dissipated energy (DIo/RC). Therefore, in response to B deprivation, the KWS1197 cultivar demonstrated greater adaptability in terms of morphological indices and photosynthetic functions, which not only explains the improved performance but also renders the measured parameters as the key features for varietal selection, providing a theoretical basis for the utilization of efficient sugar beet cultivars in future.

Response assessment of some sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) cultivars to organic fertilizers treatments under South Sinai conditions

Response assessment of some sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) cultivars to organic fertilizers treatments under South Sinai conditions

Possibilities of weed control of Chenopodium album and other weeds in sugar beet crop after possible non-approval of lenacil

The field research were carried out in 2021–2022, in Mariza sugar beet cultivar. The aim of the study was to develop an alternative weed control program without lenacil. The tested mixtures containing metamitron, ethofumesate, triflusulfuron-methyl, clopyralid, dimetha­namid-P and quinomerac, used in various combinations together with the Atpolan BIO 80 EC Premium adjuvant, effectively controlled Chenopodium album up to phase 1 of the true leaf pair (BBCH 11). The absence of ethofumesate in the composition of mixtures or the use of metamitron (1050 g/ha) with triflusulfuron-methyl (15 g/ha) results in a deterioration in the effectiveness of combating Ch. album indencisive results. The addition of dimethanamide-P and quinomerac to the mixture of metamitron, ethofumesate and clopyralid gave inconclusive results. Depending on the year of the study, comparable control efficiency was obtained, oscillating in the range of the mixture of metamitron with ethofumesate, or a negligible improvement. The conducted research proved that the withdrawal of lenacil affect the deterioration of the effectiveness of combating Ch. album.

Effect of irrigation and water quality on the physiological status of sugar beet and fodder beet using SPAD-502 chlorophyll meter

In Hungary, irrigation determines the success of water-intensive beet cultivation. Taking into account the guidelines of the circular economy, we investigated the effect of irrigation with pre-treated nutrient-rich effluent from an intensive catfish-farm on the growth stages of sugar beet and fodder beet. In the two-year-experiment (2020, 2021), two sugar beet (‘Helenika’, ‘Grandiosa’) and two fodder beet (‘Rózsaszín Béta’, ‘Béta Vöröshenger’) cultivars were grown. In addition to the effluent water of the fish farm, the water of the Körös oxbow lake and a mixed water type (1:3 effluent and Körös water, added gypsum) were used for irrigation (sprinkler irrigation methods, 4 replications). The experiment was performed in 64 lysimeter vessels/units (1 m2) in Szarvas. During the research we sought answers to the following questions: (1) whether the onset and length of sugar growth stage and accumulation stage differ depending on water quality, (2) which beet variety has the highest relative chlorophyll content, (3) whether irrigation water quality affected the relative chlorophyll content of beet cultivars. SPAD values measured with the SPAD-502 chlorophyll meter were used to estimate the relative chlorophyll content of beet leaves.

Effect of cryopreservation on plant growth and roots characteristics of red beet (beta vulgaris l.) cultivar

Effect of cryopreservation on plant growth and roots characteristics of red beet (beta vulgaris l.) cultivar