Sugar Beet Production Areas Research Articles

Management of Severe Curly Top in Sugar Beet with Insecticides.

Curly top, caused by Curtovirus spp., is a widespread disease problem vectored by the beet leafhopper in semiarid sugar beet production areas. The insecticide seed treatment Poncho Beta has proven to be effective in controlling curly top in sugar beet but was only evaluated under light to moderate disease pressure. Thus, the insecticide seed treatments Poncho Beta, NipsIt INSIDE, and Cruiser Force were evaluated under severe curly top pressure (six viruliferous beet leafhoppers per plant) in field studies during the 2010 and 2011 growing seasons on two commercial sugar beet cultivars. In addition, the foliar insecticides Movento, Provado, and Scorpion were also evaluated. The seed treatments and Scorpion reduced curly top symptoms by 33 to 41% (P < 0.0001) and increased root yield by 55 to 95% (P < 0.0001), sucrose content by 6.5 to 7.2% (P = 0.0013 to <0.0001), and estimated recoverable sucrose by 58 to 96% (P < 0.0001) when compared with the untreated check. Movento and Provado did not improve control beyond that provided by Poncho Beta. Even under severe disease pressure 50 to 55 days after planting, neonicotinoid seed treatments can effectively reduce curly top, increase yield, and help protect against early-season insect pest pressure.

Sites Availability for Minimalizing and Soil-Conservation Tillage of Soils in Slovakia

Sites Availability for Minimalizing and Soil-Conservation Tillage of Soils in SlovakiaThere is an alternative technology of traditional agricultural soil processing, so called minimalizing cultivation, which is based on reduction of some operating processes used in common. It is possible to perform this technology only in particular soil conditions. Total land area of sites, which are avail-able for the application of minimalizing cultivation is about 693 thousand hectares, which presents approximately 28% of agricultural and 48% of arable soils. 60% of this land area occurs in the maize production area and 39% in the sugar beet production area, thus in the most favourable agricultural local-ities regarding climate and soil. According to the administrative structuring of Slovakia 43% of agricultural soils suitable for minimalizing technologies occurs in Nitra district and about 27% in Trnava district. Identification of areas, suitable for such technologies application, is possible by the information databases of Soil Science and Conservation Research Institute, which have been elaborated for this purpose in geographic and informative systems. Regarding input parameters, they were chosen as follows: climatic conditions of given locality, steepness, depth, stoniness and soil texture.

Synergistic damage by interactions between Ditylenchus dipsaci and Rhizoctonia solani (AG 2–2IIIB) on sugar beet

The aim of this study was to investigate interactions between Ditylenchus dipsaci and Rhizoctonia solani. Both pathogens are known to cause problems in the primary sugar beet production areas in Germany. Furthermore, the organisms’ ecological niches in the soil and on the beet overlap. Hence, it is probable that these parasites interact and have a deleterious synergistic impact on sugar beet production. The stem and bulb nematode, D. dipsaci, is a migratory endoparasite that penetrates the sugar beet seedling during the spring when temperatures are low. The main symptoms include distorted, bloated petioles and leaves. The fungus causing Rhizoctonia crown and root rot, R. solani, enters the plant at the beet-leaf transition zone. Synergistic damage was obtained when both organisms occurred on the same plant. Hyperspectral leaf reflectance data was used to calculate a vegetation index, the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), which could successfully be used to discriminate between growth reduction caused by R. solani and by dual inoculation (disease complex). High correlations were observed between ratings of disease symptoms and the vegetation index over a time series of seven weeks.

Sensitivity of Cercospora beticola populations in Turkey to flutriafol, mancozeb, and fentin acetate

The sensitivity of sugar beet leaf spot disease caused by Cercospora beticola to fungicides used in Turkey was determined using a mycelial growth assay in petri dishes with 100 fungal isolates. The isolates were obtained from samples collected from 6 sugar beet production areas in 2005 and 2006. Flutriafol, mancozeb, and fentin acetate were added to Aspergillus complete medium (ACM) at the rates of 0.0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 5.0, and 10.0 µg mL^{-1}, and then mycelial growth was measured. ED_{50} values of flutriafol for all the isolates from the sugar beet production areas ranged from 0.04 to >10.0 µg mL^{-1}. Tolerance to this fungicide was very high in 2 regions (Adapazarı and Çarşamba) where the disease is very prevalent due to climatic conditions. In these 2 areas 74.1%, 55.5%, 81.2%, and 68.7% of the isolates grew with 5 and 10 µg mL^{-1} of flutriafol, respectively (1 µg mL^{-1} flutriafol is considered inhibitory to the growth of the fungus). In the other 4 regions included in the study, tolerance was not as high. Tolerance to mancozeb developed in all the regions; however, the percentage of tolerant isolates was lowest in Çarşamba (6%) and highest in Susurluk (47.3%). Tolerance to fentin acetate varied according to the criteria used for evaluation.

Interaction of Rhizoctonia solani and Rhizopus stolonifer Causing Root Rot of Sugar Beet.

In recent years, growers in Michigan and other sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) production areas of the United States have reported increasing incidence of root rot with little or no crown or foliar symptoms in sugar beet with Rhizoctonia crown and root rot. In addition, Rhizoctonia-resistant beets have been reported with higher levels of disease than expected. In examining beets with Rhizoctonia root rot in Michigan, over 50% of sampled roots had a second potential root rot pathogen, Rhizopus stolonifer. Growing conditions generally were not conducive to disease production by this pathogen alone, so we investigated the potential for interaction between these two pathogens. In greenhouse tests, four of five sugar beet varieties had more severe root rot symptoms when inoculated with both pathogens than when inoculated with either pathogen alone. This synergism occurred under conditions that were not conducive to disease production by R. stolonifer. Host resistance to Rhizoctonia crown and root rot reduced diseases severity, but was insufficient to control the disease when both pathogens were present. This raises concerns about correct disease diagnosis and management practices and indicates that a root rot complex may be important on sugar beet in Michigan.

Distribution of Rhizomania Disease in Sugar Beet Growing Areas of Turkey

Rhizomania is one of the most destructive diseases affecting sugar beet. It leads to a severe loss in terms of root yield and sugar content up to 90 % and up to 70 % respectively, depending on the disease severity. It was reported in some regions of Marmara, Central Black Sea, and Central Anatolia and tends to spread in other regions in Turkey. The disease is caused by Beet Necrotic Yellow Vein Benyvirus (BNYVV) and transmitted by a fungus, Polymyxa betae. The primary source of its spread is through the movement of infested soils or beets. Only cultural control methods are employed to control this disease. At present, the most effective control measure is to use of partially resistant sugar beet cultivars. The other additional measures like planting early into cool soils, minimizing watering, avoiding soil compaction, and employing crop rotations can reduce levels of the virus in the soil. Therefore, it is essential to determine the infested areas and take cultural measures before the disease causes economically important yield losses. Based on a three-year crop rotation, surveys were conducted and sugar beet root samples were collected from the growing areas in 102 regions of 17 sugar factory boundaries and in three periods including 1996-1998, 1999-2001 and 2002-2004. These root samples were tested by means of DAS-ELISA and distribution of BNYVV was determined. Rhizomania was detected in the sugar beet production areas of 4, 9 and 15 sugar factories in 1996-1998 1999-2001, and 2002- 2004 at the rates of 19.30% (46200 ha), 31.42% (94140 ha), and 48.66% (203640 ha), respectively.

Study of Some Physiological Changes in Sugar Beet cv. 7233 in the Presence of Sugar Beet Cyst Nematode, Heterodera schachtii and an Antagonistic Sterile Fungus StFCh1-1 in the Rhizosphere Condition

In this study, several physiological parameters of inoculated sugar beet plants, with the beet cyst nematode, Heterodera schachtii, were evaluated in the presence of an antagonistic sterile fungus StFCh1-1 in the rhizosphere condition. The sugar beet plant used in this bioassay was a multigerm cultivar, 7233, which is sensitive to the beet cyst nematode and has been adapted to cultivate in temperate and cool regions of the sugar beet production areas of Iran. In this regard a potent bioassay was conducted in the sterile glass tubes (20 x 3 cm phi ) containing 30 g autoclaved soil and planted with a sterile germinated seed of sugar beet, totally in 24 tubes. The seedling of sugar beet plant at four leaves stages in two treatments (nematode and nematode + fungus) was inoculated with 50 disinfected beet cyst nematodes. As a standard procedure the bioassay composed of four treatments including: fungus, nematode, nematode + fungus and untreated control. Two months after nematodes' inoculation some physiological parameters of plants were measured including: total chlorophyll, potassium and biomass. The two treated plants with nematode and nematode plus fungus showed significant decrease in biomass and chlorophyll contents but treatment with fungus alone showed no significant differences in the biomass and chlorophyll content of plants in comparison with the control. The potassium content of shoots in the invaded sugar beet plants was lowest, but it was highest in the roots. These changes might be indication of adaptive osmoregulation or acclimation responses in plants due to the nematodes as bio-stressors through the increase of metabolites and solutes. Also, these results confirmed that in plants inoculated with nematode plus fungus, a few number of female of nematodes were developed due to the antagonistic effects of sterile fungus StFCh1-1. Meanwhile, the fungus didn't have any detrimental effect on biomass, chlorophyll content and potassium in leaves of sugar beet cv. 2733 and it is safe to use as a biocontrol agent against Heterodera schachtii.

Long distance pollen‐mediated gene flow at a landscape level: the weed beet as a case study

Gene flow is a crucial parameter that can affect the organization of genetic diversity in plant species. It has important implications in terms of conservation of genetic resources and of gene exchanges between crop to wild relatives and within crop species complex. In the Beta vulgaris complex, hybridization between crop and wild beets in seed production areas is well documented and the role of the ensuing hybrids, weed beets, as bridges towards wild forms in sugar beet production areas have been shown. Indeed, in contrast to cultivated beets that are bi-annual, weed beets can bolt, flower and reproduce in the same crop season. Nonetheless, the extent of pollen gene dispersal through weedy lineages remains unknown. In this study, the focus is directed towards weed-to-weed gene flow, and we report the results of a pollen-dispersal analysis within an agricultural landscape composed of five sugar beet fields with different levels of infestation by weed beets. Our results, based on paternity analysis of 3240 progenies from 135 maternal plants using 10 microsatellite loci, clearly demonstrate that even if weedy plants are mostly pollinated by individuals from the same field, some mating events occur between weed beets situated several kilometres apart (up to 9.6 km), with rates of interfield-detected paternities ranging from 11.3% to 17.5%. Moreover, we show that pollen flow appears to be more restricted when individuals are aggregated as most mating events occurred only for short-distance classes. The best-fit dispersal curves were fat-tailed geometric functions for populations exhibiting low densities of weed beets and thin-tailed Weibull function for fields with weed beet high densities. Thus, weed beet populations characterized by low density with geographically isolated individuals may be difficult to detect but are likely to act as pollen traps for pollen emitted by close and remote fields. Hence, it appears evident that interfield pollen-mediated gene flow between weed beets is almost unavoidable and could contribute to the diffusion of (trans)genes in the agricultural landscape.

Partial nucleotide sequence analysis of Turkish isolates of Beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV) RNA‐3

A survey was carried out to detect Beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV) in soil samples using RT‐PCR and bait plant techniques from the sugar beet production area of Tokat, Turkey in 2001. More than 80% of the soil samples analyzed were found to be contaminated with the virus. The partial nucleotide sequence of cDNA corresponding to RNA‐3 of BNYVV isolates were analyzed for six different regions of Tokat province. All isolates were assigned to type A strains based on RFLP analysis and DNA sequences. Sequence comparison revealed differences at amino acid positions 35, 68, 71 and 179 of the P25 coding region amongst Turkish isolates. Additionally, all Turkish isolates were compared with Japanese, French, Kazakh, Italian and Belgian isolates.

Root rot diseases of sugar beet

Root rot diseases of sugar beet caused by Rhizoctonia solani (AG 2-2 IIIB and AG 2-2 IV), R. crocorum, Aphanomyces cochlioides, Phoma betae, Macrophomina phaeseolina, Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. radicis-betae, Pythium aphanidermatum Phytophthora drechsleri, Rhizopus stolonifer, R. arrhizus and Sclerotium rolfsii cause significant losses wherever sugar beets are grown. However, not all these soil-borne pathogens have been reported in all sugar beet production areas. Losses include reduced harvestable tonnage and reduced white sugar recovery. Many of these pathogens also cause post harvest losses in storage piles. Control for diseases caused by these pathogens include disease resistant cultivars, avoidance of stresses, cultural practices such as water management and the use of fungicides.

Comparison of the value added development in the agricultural and food sectors and the efficiency of its creation

The article summarises the results of the analysis of value added (VA) in agriculture and food industry and the share of intermediate consumption in the value added. The results show that during 1993&amp;ndash;2000, the Slovak agricultural sector (farming, hunting, forestry and fisheries), where farming is clearly dominant, together with the construction sector, reported the most significant decline in their relative contribution to the overall value added created in the national economy, whereas the contribution of market services increased. The moderate increase (1998, 1999) in the contribution of the food sector to the total value added in the national economy, as well as to industrial production (2000), has been brought to a&amp;nbsp;halt and, eventually, began deflating. The tendency of declining participation of the agricultural sector in value added was also typical for the EU member states and for the CEFTA countries. Agriculture remains dominant in terms of its contribution to value added in the agri-food sector (54.5% in the year 2000). In the category of land-farming holdings, the share of intermediate consumption in value added increased (both in co-operatives and business companies, whether loss-making or profitable). The farmers in mountainous areas spent per 1&amp;nbsp;SKK of value added 0.65&amp;ndash;1.42 SKK more of intermediate consumption than farmers in the maize production area and 0.54&amp;ndash;1.32 SKK more than farmers in the sugar-beet production area. In the production of foodstuffs, beverages and tobacco processing, which is more demanding in terms of consumed inputs than agricultural production (the same is true for developed economies), the ratio between intermediate consumption and value added differed depending on the branch concerned. Agriculture was one of the most demanding sectors in terms of fixed asset investments necessary to generate value added. The initial decline was brought to stop in 1998 and the relative share of fixed assets (FA) in value added (VA) started to increase, particularly in the year 2000, mainly under the influence of increased support to farmers&amp;rsquo; capital investments. Although the creation of value added in agricultural co-operatives initially demanded more investments in fixed assets than it was the case in farming business companies, the difference narrowed over the time. The group of loss-making entities reported the FA/VA ratios twice as high as the group of profitable entities, which sends a&amp;nbsp;signal to the former to revise the structure of their production and to improve management practices. Similarly as in the case of intermediate consumption, also the FA/VA ratio increased as the production conditions deteriorated. The ratios in the production of foodstuffs and beverages (without tobacco processing) were significantly lower than those in the farming sector. In 1999, the lowest FA/VA ratio occurred in the production of durable bakery products and the highest in the production of fruit and vegetable juices.

Comparison of important parameters of spring and winter barley cultivated in sugar beet production area of Czech Republic

Both spring and winter barley were sown after a&amp;nbsp;forecrop of winter rape. Three registered model varieties of six row and two row winter barley reached in the period 1999&amp;ndash;2001 significantly higher yield than three model varieties of spring barley. Two row spring and winter varieties produced significantly higher thousand grain weight (TGW) than six row winter barley. The resistance to diseases and lodging (correlation coefficient with resistance to powdery mildew represent 0.68**, rust 0.72*, lodging 0.61**) was the most important factor determining the yield. Resistance to rust has influenced sieving on 2.5 mm, correlation coefficient reached value 0.88**. No significant differences were determined in any malting quality parameter when varieties of two row winter barley variety (Tiffany), and spring barley varieties (Akcent and Tolar) were compared. Variety Tolar reached higher parameters for friability and a&amp;nbsp;beta glucan content. Between years, significant differences were found in following parameters: protein content and apparent degree of attenuation. Due to reduction of area sown with spring barley and reduced yield potential, two row winter barley varieties with comparable malting parameters are recommended to be cultivated as the reserve crop for malting barley industry demands.

Integrated Control of Rhizoctonia Crown and Root Rot of Sugar Beet with Fungicides and Antagonistic Bacteria.

Rhizoctonia crown and root rot, caused by the fungus Rhizoctonia solani AG 2-2, is one of the most damaging sugar beet diseases worldwide and causes significant economic losses in more than 25% of the sugar beet production area in the United States. We report on field trials in the years 1996 to 1999 testing both experimental fungicides and antagonistic Bacillus sp. for their potential to reduce disease severity and increase sugar yield in trials inoculated with R. solani AG 2-2. Fungicides were applied as in-furrow sprays at planting or as band sprays directed at the crown at the four-leaf stage, or four- plus eight-leaf stage, while bacteria were applied at the four-leaf stage only. The fungicides azoxystrobin and tebuconazole reduced crown and root rot disease by 50 to 90% over 3 years when used at rates of 76 to 304 g a.i./ha and 250 g a.i./ha, respectively. The disease index at harvest was reduced and the root and sugar yield increased with azoxystrobin compared with tebuconazole. The combination of azoxystrobin applied at 76 g a.i./ha and the Bacillus isolate MSU-127 resulted in best disease reduction and greatest root and sucrose yield increase.

P2G198 - Modulation of LD 50 and acute neurobehavioural toxicity of pyrethroid pesticide, cypermethrin, by nicotine

Beet curly top disease (BCTD) is a yield-limiting viral infection of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) throughout the arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Two virus species, belonging to two different genera of the family Geminiviridae (Curtovirus and Becurtovirus) had been described as the disease’s causative agents on sugar beet. Despite the detection of the BCTD in some sugar beet fields of Turkey sixty years ago, the genome based characterization of BCTD-associated viruses have not been studied previously. In this study, 628 sugar beet plants exhibiting BCTD symptoms were collected from fourteen cities in central Anatolia, the major sugar beet production areas in Turkey. PCR assays of these samples using the respective Curtovirus and Becurtovirus genus-specific primers indicated that the Turkish sugar beet samples' viral sequences belong only to the genus Becurtovirus. The results of sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the partial genome of the virus obtained from fourteen cities confirmed that BCTD-associated virus in Turkish sugar beet fields is beet curly top Iran virus (BCTIV-Becurtovirus) species. The whole genome of the collected viruses from fourteen cities were amplified by the rolling circle amplification (RCA) and the five most phylogenetically diverse viruses obtained from Afyon, Ankara, Adapazarı, Yozgat and Aksaray were sequenced. The results of whole genome sequence analysis indicated >98 % sequence identities with that of a BCTIV variants reported from Urmia province (bordering Turkey) of Iran. A virus genome from Yozgat city had a genomic sequence identity of >97 % with those of BCTIV isolated from cowpea, tomato, pepper and sugar beet in the northern part of Iran. These results suggested that the spread of BCTIV through the region could create a significant threat to the production of sugar beet as well as other agricultural crops. A tandem dimer of a BCTIV-Turkish variant isolated from Ankara city was cloned into Agrobacterium plasmid to be used for agro-infection studies. Agroinoculation of this construct on sugar beet leaves generated severe BCTD symptoms (84 %) which were also confirmed by RCA and qPCR analysis. These results constituted the first genome based characterization of BCTIV Turkish variants and the first report of BCTIV spreading out of Iran.

The origin and evolution of weed beets: consequences for the breeding and release of herbicide-resistant transgenic sugar beets

Populations of weed beets have expanded into European sugar beet production areas since the 1970s, thereby forming a serious new weed problem for this crop. We sampled seeds in different French populations and studied mitochondrial DNA, chloroplast DNA and life-cycle variability. Given the maternal inheritance of the mitochondrial and chloroplastic genomes and the nuclear determinism of the annual habit, we were able to determine the maternal origin and evolution of these weed beet populations. Our study shows that they carry the dominant allele "B" for annual habit at high frequency. The main cytoplasmic DNA type found in northern weed beet populations is the cytoplasmic male-sterile type characteristic of sugar beets. We were able to determine that these populations arise from seeds originating from the accidental pollinations of cultivated beets by adventitious beets in the seed production area, which have been transported to the regions where sugar beets are cultivated. These seeds are supposedly the origin of the weed forms and a frequently disturbed cultivated environment has selected for annual habit and early flowering genotypes. We discuss the consequences of the weed beet populations for the breeding, seed production and release of herbicide-resistant transgenic sugar beets.

Biocontrol of Rhizoctonia crown and root rot of sugar beet by binucleate Rhizoctonia spp. and Laetisaria arvalis

SUMMARYTwo isolates of Laetisaria arvalis and 10 of binucleate Rhizoctonia spp. (BNR) from the Ohio sugar beet production area, were tested in the greenhouse and field for biocontrol of Rhizoctonia crown and root rot of sugar beet, caused by Rhizoctonia solani anastomosis group 2, type 2. L. arvalis was ineffective in standard greenhouse tests, and the single isolate used in the field was generally ineffective. Seven of 10 BNR isolates effectively controlled crown and root rot in greenhouse tests. Delayed application of biocontrol agents to plants 5 – 10 wk old was generally more effective than applications made at planting. A BNR isolate significantly reduced % plant loss and disease ratings and increased yield in a 1985 field test as compared with the control infested with R. solani alone. Two BNR isolates were effective in a 1986 field test and increased yields c. 22% in comparison to a L. arvalis treatment, which did not differ from the R. solani‐infested control. The Ohio binucleate Rhizoctonia isolates appear to have considerable potential as applied biocontrol agents and may play a role in the natural ecology of R. solani in the sugar beet production area of Ohio.

Effect of Insecticides and Herbicides on Sugarbeet Establishment, Yield and Control of the Sugarbeet Root Maggot

The sugarbeet root maggot, Tet a nops myopaeformi s (Roder), can be a serious problem in sugarbeet production areas of We s tern Canada (2,5) and the United States (9,1 0 ,13). Infestations of the sugarbeet root maggot are sporadic and, during years of severe infestations, can re­ duce sugarbeet yield by over 50%. The biology of the sugarbeet root maggot has been re­ viewed by Hawley (7), Knowlton (8), Harper (6), and Whit­ field (11). Whitfield et al. (12) published a bibliogra­ phy that included papers on the control of the sugarbeet root maggot. Use of chemical insecticides is the only sat i sfactory method of reducing damaging populations. Harper (6) repor t ed that the sugarbeet root maggot adult lays its eggs close to the root of the young plant, and thus a practical, effective, and economical method of con­ trolling this pest has consisted of applying granular in­ secticides into the seed furrow at planting time to kill the newly emerged larvae (2,5). It is known that some in­ secticides applied close to the seed may be phytotoxic (1,2,5). In this paper, we report on a series of field experiments conducted between 1970 and 1982 to evaluate the insecticidal and phytotoxic properties of several granular insecticides applied in-furrow, and the interac­ tion of several of these with commonly used soil-applied herbicides.