Sugar Yield Research Articles

Utilization of bagasse as a soil amendment in sugarcane production on mineral soils in Florida

A 4-year study tested the feasibility of using bagasse as a soil amendment in sugarcane production on a commercial field with mineral soil in Florida. The experiment was established as a completely randomized design trial with three rates of fresh bagasse applications: approximately 5 cm of bagasse, 10 cm of bagasse, and 10 cm of bagasse + nitrogen (N), which are equivalent to 85 t ha–1, 170 t ha–1, and 170 t ha–1 + 336 kg ha–1 ammonium nitrate, respectively. A control (no bagasse and no N added) was also included. As each treatment and the control had three replicates, there were 12 plots (6.5 ha each in size) totaling over 77 ha. The high pH of the soils is a result of years of mixing underlying limestone (calcium carbonate) bedrock with the topsoil. Overall results indicate that bagasse application positively affected the accumulation of soil organic matter during a short-term period, resulting in higher water-holding capacity and lower bulk density. The high rate of bagasse application had a positive effect on N accumulation, extractable phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) contents during the short term. One single application of bagasse significantly increased the first-year sugarcane biomass and sugar yield by approximately 23%. An overall higher application rate of bagasse (10 cm) was recommended as it showed significantly positive effects on soil health indicators and had a longer effect on increasing sugarcane biomass and sugar yield. There is potential to incorporate bagasse into commercial sugarcane production grown on mineral soils in Florida.

Protein production from cellulosic waste using candida utilis

With rapid population growth there is a lot of interest in developing alternative protein sources, like protein yeast cultures. For growth of yeast could be used agricultural and food processing waste, but such source of hydrocarbons need to be pretreated. The purpose of the presented study is to assess the effect of steam explosion treatment on the process of feed protein production, including the influence on the enzymatic hydrolysis, cultivation of yeast and resulting products characteristics. Wheat straw, spelt hull and sunflower husk were subjected to steam explosive activation at 165 °C and 210 °C. The products were subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis at the following conditions: enzyme dose 12 g/kg of raw material and temperature of 45 °C. Total reducing sugars content and component composition were evaluated in the hydrolysates using IR spectrometry and HPLC respectively. A pure yeast culture of Candida utilis, was grown on hydrolysates (2 g/L) in a 10 L bioreactor unit at 35 °C for 24 h. The samples of protein were evaluated for crude protein, true protein, fiber, fat and ash content. Conversion efficiency was calculated. The highest conversion efficiency was observed for spelt husks activated at 165 °C: reducing sugars yield was 56.2 % out of 73.3 % of theoretical yield; biomass concentration reaches 52.9 g/L, with reducing sugar conversion of 80.1 %. The crude protein content of yeast was 53.9 % (42 % according to Barnstein). Hydrolysates from activated materials, give a higher yeast biomass yield of 21–42 % compared to hydrolysates of non-activated raw materials.

Utility Aspects of Sugarcane Bagasse as a Feedstock for Bioethanol Production: Leading Role of Steam Explosion as a Pretreatment Technique

Lignocellulosic biomass is a powerful approach to produce sustainable biofuels and the further achievement of the goal of biomass conversion into a second-generation clean energy that can cope with the depletion of fossil reserves and rising energy requirements. In the conversion process, a pretreatment is essential to overcome the recalcitrance of the lignocellulosic biomass; accelerate its disintegration into cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin; and, in turn, obtain an optimal yield of fermentable sugars in the enzymatic hydrolysis. In addition to this, it should be industrially scalable and capable of enhancing fuel properties and feedstock processability. Here, steam explosion technology has stood out due to its results and advantages, such as wide applicability, high efficiency in the short term, or lack of contamination despite its conventionality. This gentle and fast pretreatment incorporates high temperature autohydrolysis and structural alteration by explosive decompression. The steam explosion method has been one of the most effectual, especially for the hydrolysis of cellulose from agricultural wastes due to the lower quantity of acetyl groups in the composition of hemicellulose. In this aspect, sugarcane bagasse is a promising feedstock for bioethanol production due to its high cellulosic content and elevated availability. The objective of this review has been to compile the latest information on steam explosion pretreatment, stages, equipment, variables involved, by-products generated, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the technique. At the same time, its feasibility and viability using sugarcane bagasse as feedstock has been discussed. Finally, the effectiveness of the technique with different feedstocks has been evaluated.

Enzymatic digestibility of lignocellulosic wood biomass: Effect of enzyme treatment in supercritical carbon dioxide and biomass pretreatment

Energy and resource intensive mechanical and chemical pretreatment along with the use of hazardous chemicals are major bottlenecks in widespread lignocellulosic biomass utilization. Herein, the study investigated different pretreatment methods on spruce wood namely supercritical CO2 (scCO2) pretreatment, ultrasound-assisted alkaline pretreatment, and acetosolv pulping-alkaline hydrogen peroxide bleaching, to enhance the enzymatic digestibility of wood using optimized enzyme cocktail. Also, the effect of scCO2 pretreatment on enzyme cocktail was investigated after optimizing the concentration and temperature of cellulolytic enzymes. The impact of scCO2 and ultrasound-assisted alkaline pretreatments of wood were insignificant for the enzymatic digestibility, and acetosolv pulping-alkaline hydrogen peroxide bleaching was the most effective pretreatment that showed the release of total reducing sugar yield (TRS) of ∼95.0 wt% of total hydrolyzable sugars (THS) in enzymatic hydrolysis. The optimized enzyme cocktail showed higher yield than individual enzymes with degree of synergism 1.34 among the enzymes, and scCO2 pretreatment of cocktail for 0.5–1.0 h at 10.0–22.0 MPa and 38.0–54.0 °C had insignificant effect on the enzyme's primary and global secondary structure of cocktail and its activity.

Estimating Chlorophyll Content, Production, and Quality of Sugar Beet under Various Nitrogen Levels Using Machine Learning Models and Novel Spectral Indices

Accurately estimating crop performance under various fertilizer levels in a rapid and non-destructive manner has become a vital aspect of precision agriculture technology for both economic and environmental benefits. This study aimed to estimate different sugar beet parameters, such as total chlorophyll (Chlt), chlorophyll a (Chla), chlorophyll b (Chlb), root yield (RY), sugar yield (SY), and sugar content (SC) under five nitrogen (N) levels (0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 kg N ha−1). This was achieved by using a combination of the gradient boosting regression (GBR) model with published and newly developed two- and three-band spectral indices (2D- and 3D-SRIs). The results showed that the N levels had the highest proportion of variations (80.4–92.9%) for all parameters, except for SC, which had more variation (59.9%) according to year than the N levels (37.2%). All parameters, except SC, showed a significant increase with gradually increasing N levels. Additionally, the N levels displayed linear and strong positive relationships with the chlorophyll parameters, and linear and strong negative relationships with SC, while these relationships were quadratic and strong with RY and SY. Several published and novel 3D-SRIs exhibited moderate to strong relationships (R2 = 0.65–0.89) with all parameters. The newly developed 3D-SRIs, which involve wavelengths from the visible, near-infrared, and red-edge regions, such as NDI536, 538, 534, NDI738, 750, 542, and NDI448, 734, 398, were effective in accurately estimating all parameters. Combining 2D-SRIs, 3D-SRIs, and the aggregate of all spectral indices (ASRIs) with GBR models could be a robust strategy for estimating the six observed parameters with reasonable precision. The GBR-ASF-6 SRIs and the GBR-ASF-7 SRIs models performed better in predicting Chl content and SC with R2 values of 0.99 and 0.99 (RMSE = 0.073 and 1.568) for the training dataset and R2 values of 0.65 and 0.78 (RMSE = 0.354 and 6.294) for the testing datasets, respectively. The obtained results concluded that published and newly developed 3D-SRIs, GBR based on 2D-SRIs or 3D-SRIs, and the aggregate of all ASRIs can be used in practice to accurately estimate the Chl content, production, and quality of sugar beet across a wide range of N levels under semiarid conditions.

Validation of candidate gene-based EST-SSR markers for sugar yield in sugarcane.

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is a widely cultivated crop that fulfils approximately 75% of the sucrose demand worldwide. Owing to its polyploidy and complex genetic nature, it is difficult to identify and map genes related to complex traits, such as sucrose content. However, association mapping is one of the alternatives for identifying genes or markers for marker-assisted selection. In the present study, EST-SSR primers were obtained from in silico studies. The functionality of each primer was tested using Blast2Go software, and 30 EST-SSR primers related to sugar content were selected. These markers were validated using association analysis. A total of 70 F1 diverse genotypes for sugar content were phenotypes with two check lines. All parameters related to sugar content were recorded. The results showed a significant variation between the genotypes for sugar yield traits such as Brix value, purity, and sucrose content, etc. Correlation studies revealed that the Brix%, sucrose content, and sucrose recovery were significantly correlated. An association analysis was performed using mixed linear model to avoid false positive associations. The association analysis revealed that the SEM 407 marker was significantly associated with Brix% and sucrose content. The SEM 407 primers are putatively related to diphosphate-fructose-6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase which is associated with Brix% and sucrose content. This functional marker can be used for marker-assisted selection for sugar yield traits in sugarcane that could accelerate the sugarcane breeding program.

Modeling and Optimization of Processes for Craft Beer Production: Malt Mixture Modeling and Mashing Optimization for Lager Beer Production

Beer ranks third in terms of consumption worldwide, and its technology is constantly being improved and perfected. The boom in craft brewing has led to the production of thousands of new types of beer, but most often without scientific justification of the technological decisions made. This paper discusses the approaches to the modeling of the composition of the malt mixture and the mode of lager beer production. A special cubic simplex-lattice design with two replications was used to model the mixture with three malt types: Pilsner, Caramel Pils and Caramel Munich type 2. Models for the main brewing characteristics, i.e., wort extract and color, as well as models for the biological parameters of the mash, i.e., phenolic compound content and antioxidant potential, were developed using different methods. Multi-objective optimization was carried out and a specific mixture was developed for the production of lager beer. The influence of acidulated malt, lactic acid and CaCl2 additions on the extract yield and malt mash filtration time were established through one-factor experiments. The extract and fermentable sugar yield during individual pauses in the mashing mode was studied with a view to its optimization.

Biodiesel production and properties estimation from food waste and domestic wastewater by Rhodosporidium toruloides

Producing biodiesel from food waste (FW) would benefit both environment and economy. Current study investigated biodiesel production from food waste and domestic wastewater by utilizing the oleaginous yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides under non-sterile condition. The potential of biolipid production from the mixture of effluents of existing local FW treatment facilities and domestic wastewater was firstly evaluated. Then, to increase the nutrient recovery efficiency, FW hydrolysis process by crude enzymes produced from solid FWs by Aspergillus oryzae was introduced and the conditions were further optimized. The optimized hydrolysis process resulted in reducing sugar (RS) yield of 251.81 ± 8.09 mg gdryFW−1 and free amino nitrogen (FAN) yield of 7.70 ± 0.74 mg gdryFW−1 while waste oil with the RS yield of 93.54 ± 0.01 mg gdryFW−1 was easily separated without solvent usage. Compared to the hydrolysate only used, when mixed with domestic wastewater, the results showed obvious enhancement on biomass yield, biolipid yield, and wastewater treatment efficiency. The maximum biolipid yield was 29.80 ± 0.50 mg gdryFW−1 and the estimated quality of biodiesel produced from the biolipid met both EN 14214 and ASTM D6751 standards.

LPMO-supported saccharification of biomass: effects of continuous aeration of reaction mixtures with variable fractions of water-insoluble solids and cellulolytic enzymes

BackgroundHigh substrate concentrations and high sugar yields are important aspects of enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulosic substrates. The benefit of supporting the catalytic action of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase (LPMO) through continuous aeration of slurries of pretreated softwood was weighed against problems associated with increasing substrate content (quantitated as WIS, water-insoluble solids, in the range 12.5–17.5%), and was compared to the beneficial effect on the saccharification reaction achieved by increasing the enzyme preparation (Cellic CTec3) loadings. Aerated reactions were compared to reactions supplied with N2 to assess the contribution of LPMO to the saccharification reactions. Analysis using 13C NMR spectroscopy, XRD, Simons’ staining, BET analysis, and SEM analysis was used to gain further insights into the effects of the cellulolytic enzymes on the substrate under different reaction conditions.ResultsAlthough glucose production after 72 h was higher at 17.5% WIS than at 12.5% WIS, glucan conversion decreased with 24% (air) and 17% (N2). Compared to reactions with N2, the average increases in glucose production for aerated reactions were 91% (12.5% WIS), 70% (15.0% WIS), and 67% (17.5% WIS). Improvements in glucan conversion through aeration were larger (55–86%) than the negative effects of increasing WIS content. For reactions with 12.5% WIS, increased enzyme dosage with 50% improved glucan conversion with 25–30% for air and N2, whereas improvements with double enzyme dosage were 30% (N2) and 39% (air). Structural analyses of the solid fractions revealed that the enzymatic reaction, particularly with aeration, created increased surface area (BET analysis), increased disorder (SEM analysis), decreased crystallinity (XRD), and increased dye adsorption based on the cellulose content (Simons' staining).ConclusionsThe gains in glucan conversion with aeration were larger than the decreases observed due to increased substrate content, resulting in higher glucan conversion when using aeration at the highest WIS value than when using N2 at the lowest WIS value. The increase in glucan conversion with double enzyme preparation dosage was smaller than the increase achieved with aeration. The results demonstrate the potential in using proper aeration to exploit the inherent capacity of LPMO in enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulosic substrates and provide detailed information about the characteristics of the substrate after interaction with cellulolytic enzymes.

Influence of Levels of Water Soluble Fertilizer on Yield, Quality and Economics of Sugarcane Through Fertigation

A field experiment was conducted at Zonal Agricultural Research Station, V. C. Farm, Mandya during 2018-19 to study the effect of water-soluble fertilizer levels (urea, MAP, MOP) under drip fertigation on yield, quality and economics of sugarcane. The investigation was carried out in Randomized Complete Block Design with seven treatments and replicated thrice. The treatments comprised of four levels of fertigation viz., 150, 125, 100 and 75 per cent Recommended Dosage of Fertilizers (RDF) through water soluble fertilizers, 100 per cent RDF through conventional fertilizers without FYM, 100 per cent RDF through conventional fertilizers with FYM and control. The results revealed that application of 125 per cent RDF through water soluble fertilizers recorded significantly higher yield and yield parameters viz., number of millable canes clump-1 (14.33), cane length (346.33 cm), number of internodes cane-1(21.00), cane girth (13.80 cm), single cane weight (2.97 Kg) and cane yield (212 t ha-1) and was on par with 150 per cent RDF and 100 per cent RDF through water soluble fertilizer application. Least number of millable canes clump-1(8.67), cane length (220.00 cm), number of internodes cane-1 (17.87), cane girth (10.2 cm), single cane weight (1.72 Kg) and cane yield (112.60 t ha-1) was recorded in control. Quality parameters like pol (18.0%), CCS production (12.44%), sugar yield (26.38 t ha-1) and juice extraction per centage (69.65 %) were observed significantly higher with 125 per cent RDF through drip fertigation and was on par with 150 per cent RDF and 100 per cent RDF through water soluble fertilizer application. Economic perspectives such as higher gross returns (Rs. 487600 ha-1), net returns (Rs. 368532 ha-1) and B: C ratio (4.10) was noticed with application of 125 per cent RDF and hence concluded that fertigation at 125 per cent RDF found optimum for higher yield and net returns.

Evaluation of adjuvants added to fungicides for controlling Cercospora leaf spot on sugar beet

Cercospora Leaf Spot (CLS) is a destructive foliar disease of sugar beet caused by Cercospora baticola. Recent development of resistance to several classes of chemicals by C. beticola coupled with untimely applications and/or frequent rainfall after fungicide applications have resulted in reduced efficacy of fungicides in controlling CLS. Adjuvants are typically included in fungicide formulations as inert ingredients to improve retention, delivery, and efficacy against targeted pathogens. In the greenhouse trials, three recommended fungicides (Penncozeb®, Inspire® XT, and Badge® SC) were applied and evaluated alone or in mixtures with four adjuvant types (Complex®, Preference®, Cerium Elite®, and Transfix®) before and after inoculation with C. beticola. Disease severity was recorded 14 days post-inoculation. Greenhouse trials showed that application of fungicides before disease onset resulted in reduced disease severity. Inspire XT had lower disease severity than Penncozeb or Badge SC. Adjuvants alone were not effective at controlling CLS. Among all fungicide-adjuvant combinations, only Complex and Inspire resulted in lowest disease severity. In the field trials, fungicides were applied alone or with three adjuvants. Disease severity was evaluated at 14 days intervals and recoverable sucrose (i.e., sugar yield) was measured at harvest. Field trials showed significant variations between years in disease severity and sugar yield (P < 0.001). These variations may be caused by lack of rain events immediately after the fungicide application or during the following two days. The finding that addition of adjuvants did not improve the efficacies of fungicides at controlling CLS was because if there was no rain, then the adjuvants should not be any better than formulated fungicide. Thus, more experiments are necessary with similar and different adjuvant-fungicide combinations.

Using Dielectric Constant Measurement to Monitor Ethanol Fermentation and Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Lignocellulosic Biomass

Our study aimed to investigate the applicability of dielectric measurements across three key stages of plant-based biomass utilization: enzymatic hydrolysis of native and microwave pre-processed corn-cob residues, ethanol fermentation of the hydrolysates, and anaerobic co-digestion with meat-industry wastewater sludge. Our major findings reveal that microwave pre-treatment not only accelerates enzymatic hydrolysis but also improves sugar yield. A strong linear correlation (r = 0.987–0.979; R2 = 0.974–0.978) was observed between the dielectric constant and sugar concentrations, offering a reliable monitoring mechanism. During ethanol fermentation, microwave pre-treated samples resulted in higher yields; however, the overall bioconversion efficiency was lower. Dielectric measurements also exhibited a strong linear correlation (r = 0.989–0.997; R2 = 0.979–0.993) with ethanol concentration. Finally, anaerobic co-digestion could be effectively monitored through the measurement of the dielectric constants (r = 0.981–0.996; R2 = 0.963–0.993), with microwave-treated samples showing higher biogas yields. These results demonstrate that dielectric measurements provide a promising alternative for monitoring and controlling biomass utilization processes.

Facilitating enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency of rape straw by pretreatment with a novel glycerol-based deep eutectic solvent

Deep eutectic solvent (DES) pretreatment plays an indispensable role in destroying the natural anti-degradation barrier structure of lignocellulose. Here, the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and glycerol were used to synthesize novel DES and introduced to the pretreatment process to facilitate the enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency of rape straw (RS). The results showed that the delignification and xylan removal could extremely reach 46.1% and 52.7% under optimal conditions (molar ratio of 1:6, 200 °C, 90 min), respectively. It also resulted in 171.4 mg/g higher accessibility, 7.2% higher crystallinity, and 122.3 m2/g lower lignin surface area in RS concerning morphological changes of deconstructed and porous cell wall structure. Ultimately, the reducing sugar yield of RS was increased from 27.4% to 67.9% after pretreatment with this type of DES. This study exploited a novel DES for facilely reducing the recalcitrance of lignocellulose and a promising process for efficient saccharification using renewable biomass.

Cellulase cocktail saccharification and fermentation of jackfruit waste for biobutanol production: Statistical optimization and techno‐economic analysis

AbstractJackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam) waste (JFW), a lignocellulosic biomass, is a potential raw material that can be tapped to produce energy and valuable products for human use. In the present work, biobutanol production was studied using jackfruit waste. Initially, the jackfruit waste was pretreated using acid and alkaline agents and hydrolyzed to produce fermentable sugars. The hydrolyzed jackfruit waste was fermented using Clostridium acetobutylicum NCIM 2877 to produce biobutanol. Among the studied pretreatments, sulfuric acid pretreatment produced a maximum sugar yield of 84.21 ± 2.6 mggds−1 in the acid liquor. Enzyme hydrolysis of pretreated jackfruit waste produced a total glucose yield of 215.12 ± 13.44 mggds−1 after optimization. After detoxification using activated charcoal, the JFW hydrolysate produced a maximum biobutanol titer and yield of 1.60 ± 0.5 g L−1, and 106.59 ± 5.1 mg/gglucose, respectively. Central composite design optimization of acetone‐butanol‐ethanol fermentation produced a maximum biobutanol titer of 5.6 ± 0.2 g L−1 (250.00 ± 11.4 mg/gglucose) and total solvent titer of 7.28 ± 0.3 g L−1 (325.00 ± 13.1 mg/gglucose). A 31 ton annual biobutanol production from JFW, simulated using SuperPro Designer, revealed the unit production cost and payback time to be $10.49/kg and 8.94 years.

Continuous and effective pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse lignocellulose with DBU/glycerol to enhance enzymatic saccharification

The new deep eutectic solvent (DES) synthesized from 1,8-Diazabicyclo [5.4.0] undec-7-ene (DBU) and glycerol was utilized for the continuous pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse (SCB) and facilitating enzymatic saccharification. Under the optimal pretreatment conditions (DBU/glycerol weight ratio of 1:1.7, 160 ℃, 70 min) and enzymatic hydrolysis of the pretreated SCB by Cellulases Cellic CTec 2 (20 FPU per gram of substrate) at 50 ℃ for 72 h, the total reducing sugar content (TRSC) and total reducing sugar yield (TRSY) were 15.76 g/L and 0.51 g/g, respectively, and the lignin removal rate was 83.21%. After five recycles, the recovered pretreatment liquid maintained excellent pretreatment performance, where TRSC (14.68 g/L) and TRSY (0.48 g/g) can remain at high levels. Besides, the physicochemical properties of the DBU/glycerol solvent system were characterized, and the structural changes of SCB after pretreatment to enhance enzymatic hydrolysis were investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared analyzer (FT-IR). The results show that DBU/glycerol pretreatment is a green, efficient, and sustainable lignocellulosic pretreatment strategy.

Genetic Studies in Advanced Sugarcane Mid-Late Clones through Yield and Quality Traits

Sugarcane varietal development is frequently aimed at increasing yield and sucrose quality. Effective crop genetic evolution requires knowledge of the numerous traits that contribute to the present diversity by genetic analysis. Keeping in view, this experiment was conducted using a randomized block design with three replications and the trial consisted of nine mid-late sugarcane genotypes. Data on cane yield and quality traits were used to estimate the genetic variability parameters, heritability, and genetic advance (GA). Analysis of variance revealed highly significant and significant differences for all studied traits. Evaluated characters exhibited different levels of variability, heritability, and genetic advance among the studied genotypes. Low to high phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) and genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) were recorded. The moderate GCV and PCV values were found particularly for Sugar Yield at harvest (18.09% and 21.64%) and Cane Yield at harvest (16.62% and 20.14%) respectively, whereas the lowest GCV and PCV (1.43% and 2.26% respectively) manifested for Purity at the 12 months stage. The highest broad sense heritability value manifested for Pol in juice at 12 months stage (%) (86.47%) followed by CCS at 12 months stage (%) (85.43%), while the lowest heritability (35.00%) revealed only for Germination % at 30 DAP. In the present study, high heritability and genetic advance as a percentage of the mean (&gt;50) was recorded for Millable canes at harvest (000/ha) and single cane weight at harvest (kg) indicating a predominance of additive gene action for these characters. Therefore the result of this study suggests the existence of variability for cane yield and quality traits in these sugarcane genotypes, which should be exploited in future breeding.

Evaluation of chlorpyrifos and Beauveria bassiana as a strategy in the Egyptian sugar beet fields: impact on Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval) and its associated predators populations and the sugar beetroot yield

BackgroundThe susceptibility of pests and natural enemies to conventional insecticides is a critical element in judging the success of integrated pest management programs implementing biological control as a tactic. In this study, the susceptibility of the cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis (Boisd.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to an organophosphorus insecticide (chlorpyrifos) and the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana was evaluated through field applications during two successive sugar beet seasons. The populations of the coccinellid, chrysopid, and formicid predators were estimated to indicate pesticide risk assessment strategy. The root and sugar yields were compared during the whole experiment to emphasize the impact of both control strategies on the pre-harvest loss in this strategic crop.ResultsResults indicated that over the course of the two seasons of the investigation, chlorpyrifos significantly reduced the population density of S. littoralis and its associated predators. It showed a detrimental effect on S. littoralis larval population than untreated areas, causing an overall reduction of 97 and 92% during the 1st and 2nd seasons, respectively. The biopesticide based on entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana caused an overall reduction of S. littoralis, reaching 96 and 65% during the 1st and 2nd seasons, respectively. Meanwhile, B. bassiana slightly affects the population of predators compared to insecticide-free areas, so it was recommended for application in sugar beet fields without providing considerable risk to the associated insect predators. The sugar beetroot production and its sugar content increased significantly in both treatments during the two growing seasons compared to non-treated plots.ConclusionChlorpyrifos is not recommended for pest control; instead, B. bassiana is considered an effective biopesticide in the Egyptian sugar beet fields infested with S. littoralis as part of an integrated pest management program. Their effect was direct through reducing pest population and indirectly increasing the sugar beetroot production and increasing its total sugar content. Hence, both the sugar beetroot quality and quantity were improved favoring the microbial agent over the chemical insecticide in application for mitigating the chemical hazards toward the associated predators.

Green waste-derived compost (GWC) alleviates drought stress and promotes sugar beet productivity and biofortification

ABSTRACT Green waste-derived compost (GWC) is a valuable soil amendment for improving soil organic matter and decreasing waste products and potential pollutants. The study was carried out to evaluate the effect of GWC application on the yield and quality of sugar beet under deficit irrigation conditions using different irrigation systems. A field experiment was conducted using the commercial sugar beet variety Gazelle in sandy soil. Two doses (0 and 14 t ha−1) of GWC were applied to the soil. Three water deficiency levels (60, 80 and 100% of the soil field capacity) under either drip and sprinkler irrigation systems were applied. The application of 14 ton ha−1 of GWC resulted in the highest root and recoverable sugar yields, especially under the well-irrigated conditions under drip irrigation. Sugar beet root biofortification and juice quality were also significantly improved under drip irrigation in response to the application of 14 ton ha−1 of GWC by increasing sucrose content, quality index (Qz)% and recoverable sugar (RS)%. The application of GWC under drip irrigation enhanced water use efficiency for root (WUERY) and recoverable sugar yields (WUERSY), in particular under drip irrigation and water deficit conditions (60% of the soil field capacity). The soil physicochemical properties were significantly improved in response to the application of GWC. GWC application promoted the yield and biofortification of sugar beet by improving the soil physiochemical properties, and nutrient mobilization and uptake. The application of GWC is essential for sustainable sugar beet production and efficient irrigation water use in sandy soils.

Long-term effects of liming on crop yield, plant diseases, soil structure and risk of phosphorus leaching

This study examined the long-term effects of applying structure lime (mixture of ~80% CaCO3 and 20% Ca(OH)2) and ground limestone (CaCO3) on soil aggregate stability and risk of phosphorus (P) losses 5–7 years after liming, incidence of soil-borne diseases and yield in winter wheat (Tritium aestivum), oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and sugar beet (Beta vulgaris). Lime was applied in 13 field trials in Sweden 2013–2015 and soil characteristics and crop yield were monitored until 2021. Seedbed (0–4 cm depth) aggregate (2–5 mm size) stability was improved to the same extent with both lime treatments compared to the untreated control, sampled 5–7 years after liming. Analyses and estimations of different P fractions (total P, PO4-P, and particulate P) in leachate following simulated rainfall events on undisturbed topsoil cores sampled 6–8 years after liming revealed lower total P and particulate P concentrations in both lime treatments compared to the untreated control. Two sugar beet trial sites with soil pH ≤7.2 before liming showed an increase in sugar yield for structure lime and ground limestone as an effect of increased concentration of soil potassium (K-AL) and/or lower Aphanomyces root rot potential compared to the untreated control. The yield of winter wheat was not affected by the application of either type of lime at sites with pH &gt;7.2 but the yield of oilseed rape decreased after the application of structure lime.

The Efficacy of Fungicides Against Cercospora beticola in Field Conditions

Abstract This study is focused on the evaluation of the efficacy of conventional fungicides against Cercospora leaf spot (CLS) on sugar beet. The results showed that the best protection against CLS was achieved by treatment with kresoxim-methyl + epoxiconazole (T1) and tetraconazole (T2). The second highest fungicide efficacy was detected after treatment with (kresoxim-methyl + epoxiconazole -T1) + difenoconazole -T2, followed by (azoxystrobin + cyproconazole) + difenoconazole, (prochloraz + propiconazole) + tetraconazole, Urtica dioica plant extracts + Salix spp. plant extracts, (trifloxystrobin + cyproconazole) + tetraconazole, and picoxystrobin + tetraconazole. The positive effect of fungicide protection on yield and sugar content was higher in the year with a higher occurrence of CLS. Good CLS management could increase the root yield by up to 19.34%, and sugar yield by up to 23.83% in comparison to the untreated check. The highest sugar yield was achieved in the treatment by (prochloraz + propiconazole) + tetraconazole, followed by (kresoxim-methyl + epoxiconazole) + difenoconazole, (azoxystrobin + cyproconazole) + difenoconazole, (trifloxystrobin + cyproconazole) + tetraconazole, picoxystrobin + tetraconazole, and Urtica dioica plant extracts + Salix spp. plant extracts. The results showed a strong relationship of root yield and sugar yield on fungicide treatment during the vegetation. The occurrence of fungicide resistance in Cercospora beticola population has an important impact on efficacy of applied fungicides in field conditions. The highest economic effectiveness coefficient was achieved at treatment by (prochloraz + propiconazole) + tetraconazole.